
COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 



THE HOME SANCTUARY 



THE 

HOME SANCTUARY 



a companion volume to 

The Cloister Book 
completing a year of 
services for shut-in worshipers 
and pastorless congregations 



BY 

DAVID JAMES BURRELL, D.D., LL.D. 

Minister to the Marble Collegiate Churchy 
New York 



AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY 
150 NASSAU STREET, NEW YORK CITY 



E 



Copyright, ign 
By American Tract Society 



©CLA300255 



DEDICATION 



To the members of my Cloistered Congregation, 
who, by reason of age or sickness or homes remote, 
are deprived of the privileges of public worship. 
May they find herein some comfort for their lonely 
hours, some courage for the burden-bearing of their 
secluded lives, some touch of the friendliness of 
Christ. 



FOREWORD 



The readers of "The Cloister Book"* will need no 
introduction to "The Home Sanctuary." It con- 
tains a full Order of Service for twenty-six Sab- 
baths, so arranged that shut-in worshipers may 
have not only the sermon but appropriate prayers, 
Scripture lessons and hymns. 

While this volume is quite independent of "The 
Cloister Book," the two together will be found to 
furnish services for a year. 

It is hoped that many who are deprived of the 
privilege of public worship may thus be enabled, 
in their homes, to unite in spirit with the assembled 
people of God. 

The book may be found useful also in conduct- 
ing the worship of congregations that are without 
pastors, the service being so arranged that any suit- 
able person can lead it.f 

* The Cloister Book: For Shut-in Worshipers and Pastorless Con- 
gregations. By David James Burrell, D.D., LL.D. Published by the 
American Tract Society. 

t The hymns used in ■ these services may be found in almost any of 
the hymn-books. They are all in "The Good News," published by the 
American Tract Society, 25 cents, postpaid. 



There is a little lonely fold 

Whose flock one Shepherd keeps 

Through summer's heat and winter's cold 
With eye that never sleeps. 

By evil beast, or burning sky, 

Or damp of midnight air, 
None in that lonely flock shall die 

Beneath that Shepherd's care. 

For if, unheeding or beguiled, 

In danger's path they roam, 
His pity follows through the wild 

And bears them safely home. 

O gentle Shepherd, still behold 

Thy helpless charge in me, 
And take a wanderer to Thy fold 

That trembling turns to Thee. 



INDEX OF SERVICES 



AGE 

First Service n 

The Home Sanctuary. 

Second Service 25 

The Palm Tree. 

Third Service 37 

The Foolishness of Solomon. 

Fourth Service 50 

The Poverty of Croesus. 

Fifth Service 64 

The Double-Minded Man. 

Sixth Service 77 

Behold, what Manner of hovel 

Seventh Service 90 

The Tabernacles of Tabor. 

Eighth Service 103 

The Wells of the Desert. 

Ninth Service 117 

Tempted and Tried. 

Tenth Service 130 

A Triple Tragedy. 

Eleventh Service 143 

The Great Healer. ' 

Twelfth Service 156 

The Kindest Word ever Spoken. 

Thirteenth Service 167 

The Higher Life. 

Fourteenth Service 180 



The Jubilee in the Father's House. 

9 



io Index of Services 

PAGE 

Fifteenth Service 194 

The Timid Soul. 

Sixteenth Service ........ 207 

Assurance. 

Seventeenth Service 220 

The Witch of Endor. 

Eighteenth Service 234 

The Golden Altar. 

Nineteenth Service 247 

The Law of Liberty. 

Twentieth Service . .259 

A Patchwork Religion. 

Twenty-first Service 271 

Bad Habits. 

Twenty-second Service 283 

A Sinful Thought. 

Twenty-third Service 296 

The Golden Silence. 

Twenty-fourth Service 309 

The Messages of the Snow. 

Twenty-fifth Service 321 

The Prayers of David. 

Twenty-sixth Service 332 

The Number of Our Days. 



FIRST SERVICE 



The Home Sanctuary 

1. INVOCATION 

God, be with me* and bless me, and cause 
thy face to shine upon me, and be gra- 
cious unto me. I invoke thy presence accord- 
ing to thy promise, "If ye seek me I will be 
found of you." Make me sensible of thy 
nearness and of thy willingness to bless; for 
Jesus' sake. Amen. 

2. HYMN: "Come, thou Fount of every bless- 

ing." 

3. SCRIPTURE LESSON 

Job 14:1-14. 
Luke 12 123-32. 

4. PRAYER 

O God, I thank thee for the privilege of 
calling thee Father. I thank thee for the 
sweet and helpful friendship of thine only- 
begotten Son, who has made me acquainted 
with thee. I pray for the filial spirit that not 
only loves but trusts and obeys. Make me 
content with my lot and ever willing to suffer 

*The services in this book, like those of "The Cloister Book," are 
arranged for individual use; but they can easily be adapted to the 
needs of the Family Circle or the Congregation by changing singular 
pronouns to plural. In this case the prayer would be "God be with us 
and bless us," etc. 



12 



The Home Sanctuary 



or to serve, as may please thee. Give me the 
open mind of childhood in the presence of 
truth ; for I know that only those who become 
as little children shall see the Kingdom of 
God. Save me from the intellectual pride 
that insists on having its own way. Speak, 
Lord; thy servant heareth. What wilt thou 
have me to do ? Is there a sick friend whom I 
ought especially to remember to-day? Is 
there a sinner in need of salvation, whom I 
can lead to the Saviour? I am under com- 
mission to do good as I have opportunity. 
Send me on errands of love, and make me 
ever willing and glad to go. If I can not go, 
let my sympathy and prayers go for me. I 
want to believe what thou teachest; I want to 
obey thy slightest wish; I want to follow in 
thy steps. Lead on, O blessed Master, and 
point the way. Make me subservient to thy 
holy will. Thou hast prepared a great salva- 
tion for me ; help me to work it out with fear 
and trembling, knowing that thou workest in 
and through me. Forgive my sins, for Jesus' 
sake. Forgive my shortcomings. Forgive 
my near-sighted views of the great verities of 
the spiritual life. Forgive my apathy and in- 
difference in the face of duty and responsibil- 
ity. Give me brighter hopes, clearer visions, 
and holier aspirations. Be thou my great Ex- 
emplar, and enable me to draw nearer to thy 
likeness every day. And what I ask of thee 
for myself I ask also for my friends, and for 



The Home Sanctuary 



13 



all who belong to the household of faith. 
Bless thy Church everywhere, and give saving 
power to thy Word. Come, Holy Spirit, 
come ; and bring the seed-sowing to a glorious 
harvest. For Paul may plant and Apollos 
water; but thou alone givest the increase. 
Hear this prayer and grant me thy peace — 
that divine peace which passeth all under- 
standing; for Jesus' sake. Amen. 

5. HYMN : "J ust as I am, without one plea." 

6. OFFERING* 

7. THE SERMON 

The Home Sanctuary 

"Salute Prisca and Aquila, my fellow-workers 
in Christ Jesus, who for my life laid down their 
own necks ; and salute the church that is in their 
house." (Romans 16 : 3-5.) 

The Church is a fact — an obvious, potential 
fact ; a fact that must be reckoned with by any who 
would comprehend the logic of events. It was be- 
cause Hume was unwilling to recognize the Church 
in its relation to progress that his "History of Eng- 
land" is like a labyrinth without a clue. He might 
as well have undertaken to prepare an exhaustive 
treatise on light without a reference to the sun. 

The franchise of the Church is given in the 

*"Upon the first day of the week, let each one of you lay by him in 
store as he may prosper." (1 Cor. 16:2.) 



14 



The Home Sanctuary 



Scriptures; and on reading it we can not but be 
struck by its close adherence to the. lines of domes- 
tic life. 

At the outset we have the Church in the house 
of Adam and Eve. An altar stands in the midst 
of the family circle, the religious life of which is 
centered in the prophecy of the Seed of Woman 
who is expected, in the fullness of time, to bruise 
the serpent's head. As we follow the history 
of the Church along the centuries, we shall find a 
continuance of this seminal idea, which found ex- 
pression in the blood-stained altar and the hope of 
the coming Christ. 

In the reconstruction of things after the Deluge, 
we find the Church in the house of Noah. On the 
summit of Ararat, w T ith his family about him, u he 
builded an altar unto the Lord and offered burnt- 
offerings upon it." The altar was spanned by a 
rainbow, which was the token of a covenant be- 
tween God and his people or the transmission of 
the Messianic hope along the succeeding ages. 

And then came the Church in the house of Abra- 
ham. He heard the Voice and journeyed along the 
Great River, building an altar at every resting-place 
to perpetuate the rudimental thought of blood 
atonement, and receiving ever and anon a renewal 
of the prophecy of Christ as "his Seed, in whom all 
the nations of the earth were to be blessed." He 
saw Christ afar off and was glad. 

As time passed, the simplicity of the primitive 
Church was succeeded by an elaborate ceremonial 



The Home Sanctuary 15 



code. At its center stood the temple, around which 
was formulated the most magnificent system of 
rites and ceremonies that the world ever saw. This, 
however, was merely temporary; its purpose being 
to carry on the Messianic hope until the advent of 
Christ. At his appearing, these provisional expedi- 
ents were to vanish — vanish as darkness vanishes 
at the break of day. 

The first Church of the Christian era was the 
Church in the house of Joseph of Nazareth. The 
great promise was now fulfilled. Behold the Man- 
ger in the midst of the household, and over it the 
shadow of the Cross ! 

A little later we have the Church in the house 
of Mary of Jerusalem. In an upper room sits 
Christ himself in the midst of his disciples. Not 
far away is the temple, the "house magnifical"; 
but over its doorway is written, "The glory is de- 
parted." The Church is not there: it is in the up- 
per room, with its informal welcome and loving 
salutations. 

A little farther on we come upon the apostolic 
group of Churches, like that in the house of Aquila 
and Priscilla. Our first acquaintance with these 
itinerant tent-makers is at Corinth. A year later 
they were at Ephesus, where there was not only a 
Church but a modest theological seminary in their 
house. After this they drifted to Philippi, where 
mention is again made of the Church in their house. 
And still later they were settled at Rome, where 
our text mentions the Church in their house. Other 



The Home Sanctuary 



examples of like character are "the Church in the 
house of Philemon" at Corinth, and "the Church 
in the house of Nymphas" at Laodicea. 

As the centuries pass, we note a departure from 
the admirable simplicity of these Churches. We 
have pomp and pageantry; cloisters, cathedrals, 
and tinsel canonicals. But have we anything to 
show that can outvie the unpretentious beauty of 
holiness that marked the beginnings of Christian 
progress? And would it not be wise to surrender 
somewhat of our elaborate display in exchange for 
the sweet simplicity and rare fellowship of those 
early days ? 

As I sat recently near the tribune of Saint Peter's 
at Rome during the canonization of a saint, I was 
overwhelmed with the sensuous impressiveness of 
the service. The Pope was borne aloft in his 
palanquin toward the high altar, with a retinue of 
cardinals about him, while incense rose in fragrant 
clouds, and the great arches reverberated with the 
wonderful Gregorian chants, and all the people 
bowed in breathless awe. Then I remembered that 
it was just here, in Rome, two thousand years ago, 
that the Church of Christ was in the house of 
Aquila and Prisca, the tent-makers; and I won- 
dered if God did not smile more complacently on 
that humble company of worshipers than upon 
those who murmur beautiful liturgies and swing 
golden censers in the magnificence of these last 
days. 

I believe there is something significantly impor- 



The Home Sanctuary 17 



tant in this original idea of "the Church in the 
house. " Let us see. 

To begin with, observe the emphasis which it 
puts on the simplicity of an acceptable approach to 
God. 

Our word "Church," by the way, is not found in 
the Scriptures. It is a pagan word, kuriakon, used 
by the Greeks with reference to the altars of their 
false gods. The Scriptural word for the Church is 
ecclesia, which means simply a company of people 
come together for divine service. It contains no 
suggestion of elaborate form, but rather of plain- 
ness and informality. The God whom we worship 
is a Spirit, and must be worshiped in spirit and in 
truth. 

There is also in this phrase, "the Church in the 
house," a suggestion of the oneness of the historic 
Church. 

As there is only one God, there can be only one 
religion; and as there is but one religion there can 
be but one Church. It is a mistake to speak of the 
Jewish Church and the Christian Church as if they 
were essentially different, or as if one had sup- 
planted the other because they were somehow at 
odds. There never has been, and there never will 
be, but one Church in this world of ours. 

The Church in the house of Adam and Eve was 
gathered about an altar that spoke eloquently of 
the Lamb of God; and the same is true of every 
assembly of true worshipers at this day. It is an 
error to speak of the day of Pentecost as "the birth- 



1 8 The Home Sanctuary 



day of the Christian Church." On that occasion 
the Church, which had been from the beginning, 
received a baptism of fire and power, by the de- 
scent of the Spirit, for the carrying on of the great 
work of the Kingdom of God. 

We have, also, a side-light here into the normal 
diversity which prevails in the Church of these 
days. 

I have a friend who built for himself, years ago, 
a home on the upper Hudson. As his children 
grew up and were married, one by one, he declined 
to receive them under the paternal roof, but instead 
built for each happy pair a separate home nearby. 
And therein he showed himself a wise man; for 
true is the proverb, "Fences make good neighbors. n 
A man of less discernment might have insisted that 
his children and grandchildren should abide under 
the same roof with him; just as there are people 
who clamor for ecclesiastical uniformity, and 
mourn because the denominations are called by dif- 
ferent names. But this was not the thought of our 
Father when he "set the solitary in families." 

We are made, like sheep, to segregate : like seeks 
like. We shall never all agree; but in the good 
time coming we shall agree to differ. There is 
room for a difference of opinion in matters of doc- 
trine — not, however, as to the great fundamentals, 
such as the virgin birth of Jesus, on which rests his 
Messianic claim, or the vicarious Atonement, on 
which rests the world's hope of salvation, or the 
miracle of Christ's Resurrection, by which life and 



The Home Sanctuary 19 



immortality are brought to light, but on minor 
points, which are in no wise necessary to the in- 
tegrity of our faith. 

And there is room also for a difference of opin- 
ion in matters of polity. There must, as a matter 
of course, be law and order in the Church; but 
Scripture has little to say of forms of government : 
these are most largely left to us. Some believe in 
prelatical, others in presbyterial, and still others 
in independent forms of government. Why not 
let all suit themselves? It is the way of the world. 
Do we lament the fact that some secular states are 
monarchical, others republican, and still others dem- 
ocratic? Are we foolish enough to urge that this 
interferes with the solidarity of the race? Why, 
then, should we be troubled on account of minor 
divisions in the Church, or why should we en- 
deavor, by mechanical compression, to bring about 
abnormal uniformity instead of falling in with the 
sensible view of the household of God? 

We are, furthermore, reminded here of the true 
fellowship which should prevail in the Church. 

We sing "Blest be the tie that binds our hearts 
in Christian love." But what is that tie? It is 
not our common acceptance of the Fatherhood of 
God. The doctrine of the divine Fatherhood is 
not peculiar to Christianity. It was recognized 
centuries ago in the Norse mythology, where we 
read of "Al-fadir," the Father of All. It may be 
doubted if there is any of the false religions, ex- 
cept Confucianism, which does not suggest it. But 



20 The Home Sanctuary 



the singular and differentiating fact in Christianity 
is its belief in the brotherhood of Christ. He is 
"the first-born among many brethren," the Elder 
Brother of us all. "For this cause," says Paul, "I 
bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and 
earth is named." Thus Christ, as the manifesta- 
tion of the Father, is our bond of union. 

And this is the touchstone of legitimacy in the 
household of God. There is a proverb which ema- 
nates from the Vatican, Ubi ecclesia, ibi Christus, — 
that is, "Where the Church is, there is Christ," 
— but precisely the reverse is true : where Christ is 
there is the Church. For in any Church which is 
truly Christian he is first, last, midst and all in all. 

And with this bond of fellowship goes the 
thought of equality. 

There are no "holy orders" in the True Church. 
The word "laity" is not found in the Scriptures. 
There is indeed a distinct call to the ministry; but 
it permits no pride of station, as if men in canoni- 
cals were appointed to lord it over God's heritage. 
The true idea of the ministry was set forth in the 
Master's words, "The Son of man is come not to 
be ministered unto but to minister" ; and it was ex- 
emplified in the upper room where he girded him- 
self with a towel and washed his disciples' feet, 
saying, "I have given you an example, that ye 
should do as I have done to you." The supercili- 
ous affectation of greatness and pontifical prece- 
dence on the part of certain functionaries of the 



The Home Sanctuary 21 



Church is at an infinite remove from the conception 
of their office which was in the mind of Christ 
when he said, "He that would be greatest among 
you, let him be servant of all." 

As there is no distinction between clergy and 
laity in point of superiority, so there is no room in 
this atmosphere for the adventitious distinctions of 
social life. This is the one place on earth where 
rich and poor should meet together and acknowl- 
edge the Lord as Maker of them all. For the 
Church is a family circle; it is the household of 
God. The recognition of that fact is not always 
easy, in view of certain conditions that prevail 
among us ; but it is always wise, because it prepares 
us for the fellowship of our Father's house. We 
are fond of speaking of the recognition of friends 
in heaven; but why not more of such recognitions 
here and now? 

Still further, in this domestic conception of 
Church life we best realize the thought of co- 
operation. 

The ultimate purpose aimed at is the conquest 
of the world. To that end we are trying to per- 
suade the world to come and worship with us. 
This is one of our great problems : how to get the 
people everywhere to honor the ringing of the 
church-bell. But suppose we return to the thought 
of Christ himself, which was not to get the house 
to the Church, but to get the Church to the house. 

His great word was, "Go." He was constantly 
urging his disciples to go out as fishers of men. He 



22 



The Home Sanctuary 



had little or nothing to say about u the regeneration 
of society" or of the community, but much to say 
about the rescue of one. Welcome the day when 
the people shall no longer stand in their church- 
doors with words of welcome, but venture forth to 
the capture of prisoners of hope ! 

The Church of the dark ages was lost in spiritual 
torpor and corruption till the call of the crusades 
was heard, "God wills it!" whereupon forces were 
set in motion that ultimately brought the Reforma- 
tion to pass. Go, therefore; go out into the high- 
ways and hedges; go to the uttermost parts of the 
earth : it matters little where you go, so that you go 
somewhere for the Master in the quest of souls. 

To this work the Church in the house is per- 
fectly adjusted. 

A sacerdotalist, on hearing this, would be likely 
to say, "Your Church in the house has no organiza- 
tion." No organization? It has the best in the 
world. It is the living organism which Ezekiel saw 
in his vision, of which every household is a wheel, 
and the Spirit moves within them all. 

A Church operating from one great center or 
from a few splendid centers of radiating power is 
not calculated to bring the world to God. I re- 
member when it was thought that the best illumina- 
tion for our cities was furnished by a great arc- 
light shining from a steel tower in some central 
square; but we have learned that the best street- 
lighting is by lamps at frequent intervals, or by 
lights shining from many windows and open door- 



The Home Sanctuary 



23 



ways. It is not the great temples and cathedrals 
of the world that are controlling the enterprises of 
Christ's Kingdom. The saving factor of Chris- 
tian progress is in "the back districts/' where con- 
gregations gather in humble places of worship, of- 
ten in schoolhouses at the cross-roads. Here de- 
scends the promise, "Where two or three are met 
together in my name, there will I be." 

This is our coign of vantage in the work of the 
kingdom. Let us realize that the Church is the 
family of God. Let it be understood that he cares 
little for elaborate form and ceremony, but much 
for the simple beauty of holiness. The man who 
issues from the Church in the House with a sickle 
in hand and his face toward the harvest-field is 
greater, in God's sight, than a procession of 
hierophants in purple canonicals. I believe that a 
truer conception of the Church along the lines 
originally marked out for it would mean a mighty 
impulse in universal evangelization. 

We are looking forward to the Millennium, 
when Christ shall reign over all nations and peoples 
of the earth. It will be heralded by the descent 
of the Tabernacle of God. The dreamer in 
Patmos saw no temple in heaven, and he saw no 
temple on earth in the latter day; but he heard a 
voice prophesying that the tabernacle, the old "tent 
of meeting," should descend upon the earth, and 
that the God of glory would abide therein; saying, 
"The tabernacle of God shall be with men and he 
will dwell with them, and they shall be his people : 



i\ The Home Sanctuary 



yea, God himself shall be with them and be their 
God." 

8. PRAYER 

Blessed be thy name, O gracious Father, 
for the assurance of the things which thou 
hast prepared for them that love thee. Help 
me to live so well, so patiently, so usefully, 
here and now, that I may be found worthy of 
promotion to larger tasks in heaven; for thy 
Name's sake. Amen. 

9. HYMN : "From every stormy wind that 

blows." 

10. BENEDICTION 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the 
love of God the Father and the communion 
of the Holy Spirit be with you. Amen. 



SECOND SERVICE 



The P aim-Tree 
INVOCATION 

HAT shall I render unto thee, O 
Lord, for all thy benefits? I will take 
the cup of thy salvation and pay unto thee my 
solemn vows. Help me to dedicate myself 
anew to thy service. Here, Lord, I give my- 
self to thee; 'tis all that I can do. Amen. 

HYMN : "The morning light is breaking." 

SCRIPTURE LESSON 

Psalm 92. 
John 15 :i-i 1. 

PRAYER 

O God who dwellest in light and glory un- 
approachable, there is no measuring thy 
knowledge, because all things are naked and 
open before thee. Thine eyes run to and fro 
through all the earth to behold the evil and 
the good. Thou seest into the heart of every 
mystery, so that even the darkness is light be- 
fore thee. I pray that thou wilt have com- 
passion upon my ignorance. I am living down 
here in the valleys of mist and shadow, com- 

25 




The Home Sanctuary 

passed about by problems which I can not 
solve. Truth comes like a far-off brightness, 
glimmering through the twilight of doubt. 
Have pity on my poor, blinking eyes. Give 
me clearer vision. Help me to see Christ, 
who said, "I am the truth," and to find in sit- 
ting at his feet the key that opens all the mys- 
teries of life. Enable me to be silent when he 
speaks, and may his word be an end of all con- 
troversy. If he says thou art my Father, help 
me to believe it and henceforth obey thee in 
filial love. If he says the Bible is true, help 
me to receive it as my infallible rule of faith 
and practice, whatever others may say. If 
he assures me of salvation by faith, help me 
to rest in that assurance and fear no more. If 
he bids me work in his vineyard, help me to 
get busy at once in my appointed place. For- 
give my sins and shortcomings for his sake, 
and make me ever more and more careful to 
keep thy holy law. Remember all my friends, 
particularly those who suffer in mind, body, or 
estate. Go out, O thou seeking Saviour, af- 
ter all who wander on the dark mountains. 
Bless those who minister in thy Name, and 
touch their lips with heavenly fire, that they 
may preach the simple Gospel with power to 
save. Remember those who are in authority 
and enable them to rule righteously. Hasten 
the day when the kings of the earth shall 
bring their honor and their glory unto thee. 



The Palm-Tree 



27 



Hasten the coming of the time when no man 
shall need to say to his neighbor, "Know thou 
the Lord," because all shall know thee from 
the least to the greatest. Show thyself in thy 
majesty, O King of kings and Lord of lords, 
and ride gloriously through this sin-stricken 
and suffering world. And the praise and 
power and dominion shall be thine forever 
and ever. Amen. 

5. HYMN: u In the Cross of Christ I glory." 

6. OFFERING 

7. THE SERMON 

The P aim-Tree 

"The righteous shall flourish like the palm- 
tree." (Psalm 92.) 

The Psalter was the Hymn-book of the Jews. 
It contains one hundred and fifty devotional lyrics, 
of which eighty are ascribed to David, u the mas- 
ter-singer"; twelve to Asaph, the choir-leader; 
fourteen to the "sons of Korah," a family of sac- 
erdotal poets; two to Solomon; and one to Moses. 
The others are anonymous, among them this 
ninety-second. It is entitled U A Song for the Sab- 
bath." In its opening verse it strikes the major 
key, "It is a good thing to give thanks unto 
Jehovah!" 

Though the author's name is unknown, we may 
be sure that he belonged to the school of nature- 



28 



The Home Sanctuary 



lovers, who hear voices everywhere and are able to 
interpret them. For it is a true saying, u There are 
so many voices in the world, and none of them is 
without signification." At night this minstrel 
heard the stars singing, "The Hand that made us 
is divine!" In the fields the flowers preached to 
him of the beneficent wisdom of their Creator. 
Like the exiled duke in the Forest of Arden, he 
found "tongues in trees"; the rugged oak, the pli- 
ant willow and the lofty pine all speaking with 
voices of their own. If he trudged through the 
desert, staff in hand, the lonely palm-tree broke the 
silence with its homily: "Pause, traveler; let me 
tell thee of The Righteous Man!" 

The three factors of Righteousness are Strength, 
Beauty and Usefulness. Behold them in the palm- 
tree ! 

First, Strength. Its roots are so deep beneath 
the earth that it can venture with its sinewy trunk 
and gallant fronds to cleave the upper air. It de- 
fies the sirocco, before which other trees would 
snap like pipe-stems, saying, "Bend me you may; 
but break me, never!" 

The great Humboldt, viewing a group of palm- 
trees on their native heath, exclaimed, "Mark how 
yon pillars seem to be upholding the sky!" 

Secondly, Beauty, Observe its stately grace, Its 
lines of symmetry. Little wonder that Solomon 
in the building of the "House Magnifical" adorned 
its walls with carvings of palm-trees, overlaid its 
doors with gold spread upon palm branches, and 



The Palm-Tree 



29 



supported its porch with two pillars crowned with 
lily-work, typifying strength and beauty, after the 
similitude of the palm ! Even so, — 

The plants of grace shall ever live ; 
Nature decays, but grace doth thrive ; 
Time, that doth all things else impair, 
Still makes them flourish strong and fair. 

Thirdly, Usefulness. The Arab who lives in the 
shelter of the palm is wont to speak of its three 
hundred uses. There are trees that always take 
and never give, living on the fructifying factors of 
the soil but yielding no return, good only for the 
woodman's ax. But give the Bedouin his palm and 
he is content to let the world sweep by. 

To him the tree is a gift divine, 
Wherein all uses of man combine, 
House and raiment and food and wine. 

Of threads of palm was the carpet spun 
Whereon he kneels when the day is done 
And the foreheads of Islam are bowed as one. 

And in the hour of his great release 
His need of the palm shall only cease 
With the shroud wherein he lieth in peace. 

'Allah il Allah!" he sings his psalm 
On the Indian Sea by the isles of balm; 
"Thanks to Allah who gives the palm!" 

So flourishes the palm-tree. In the face of riot- 
ing storms it glories in strength. In a scene of 
naked desolation it presents a vision of surpassing 
grace. In a dry and thirsty land where no water 



30 The Home Sanctuary 



is, it bids the weary traveler "Rest and be thank- 
ful." 

And, behold, u the righteous shall flourish like 
the palm-tree." 

I. His strength is the strength of faith. 

His faith is rooted and grounded in truth. One 
who can say "I know" can also say "I stand"; for 
as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. 

The Word of God is the authority for the Chris- 
tian's faith; wherefore he can confidently say, u He 
only is my rock and my salvation; I shall not be 
greatly moved!" As the palm-tree stands before 
the sirocco, gently swaying and bending but ever 
righting itself, so the righteous man, while contro- 
versies rage on every side, rests in "the eye of the 
storm." He has duly considered the problems of 
faith in the light of Revelation, and has formed 
convictions that are proof against the fashions and 
opinions of the world about him. 

He has chosen his way at the bidding of his Mas- 
ter, and the shouting of the crowd can not swerve 
him. He has committed his soul to the guidance 
of One who makes no mistakes; wherefore he is 
able to affirm, "I know Him whom I have believed, 
and I am persuaded that He is able to guard that 
which I have committed unto Him against that 
day!" He has no armor of his own; but, panoplied 
in the whole armor of God— girdle of truth, breast- 
plate of righteousness, sandals of the preparation 
of the Gospel, shield of faith, helmet of salvation 



The Palm-Tree 



and sword of the Spirit — he is able to withstand in 
the evil day and, having done all, to stand. In no 
spirit of bravado, but of humble dependence on the 
Omnipotence by which he is buttressed, he plants 
himself upon his convictions, saying, "Here I 
stand; I can not otherwise; God help me!" 

The strength of the Christian is downward and 
upward. His aspirations are measured by his 
creed. He is an idealist because he is a realist. He 
is an optimist because he is a believer. He hopes 
for heaven because he knows he is living in God's 
world here and now. He is ambitious to make 
the most of himself because he has surrendered 
himself to the mastery of Christ. The roots 
of his faith are deep down in divine grace; 
wherefore the stamen of the character is superior 
to adversity and his virtues grow upward like the 
fronds of the palm; as it is written, "if ye then be 
risen with Christ, seek those things which are above 
where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God." 

II. His beauty is the beauty of holiness. 

The one green thing in the desert is the palm- 
tree. It lifts its fronds so far above the arid waste 
that, when the strength of the simoom is spent, 
there is no trace of dust upon its foliage. So does 
the Christian seek to keep himself "unspotted from 
the world." He is in the world, yet not of it. 

This is the ideal; it never was realized, however, 
save once. Christ was a Christian. He was the 
One Christian of all history in whom the world 
finds "no fault at all." 



32 The Home Sanctuary 



All others are simply measuring up to him. We 
count not ourselves to have apprehended; but this 
one thing we do : forgetting the things which are be- 
hind, we press toward the mark for the prize of the 
high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Our high call- 
ing is his "Come up higher !" From the stain of 
past sin he has cleansed us by his blood; from its 
penalty he has delivered us by his vicarious sacri- 
fice ; from its bondage he would fain free' us. His 
word is, u Sin no more!" And this is possible to 
those who realize his ever-present help. No sin is 
unavoidable. Indeed, no sin is possible except as 
we fling him off. The moment a Christian parts 
company with Christ his strength to resist goes 
from him. So long as he continues with Christ he 
is striving to be like him. This is character. The 
likeness of Christ is the beauty of holiness. 

And the beauty of holiness, like that of the palm- 
tree, is perennial. The summers of prosperity and 
the winters of adversity are alike to it. If all goes 
well, it makes merry and thanks God; if the skies 
lower and the winds blow it braces itself for strug- 
gle and still thanks God. What says the Psalmist 
of the righteous man? "He shall be like a tree 
planted by the streams of water, that bringeth forth 
its fruit in its season; whose leaf also doth not 
wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." 

One of the best definitions of the Christian is that 
of Milton, u He who can consider vice with all her 
baits and yet refrain, and yet distinguish, and yet 
prefer, that which is better, he is a true Christian." 



The Palm-Tree 



33 



We are bound to keep on living in a sinful world; 
but u to refrain, to distinguish and to choose that 
which is better," this is to live as Christ lived, to 
live as a Christian should, to be in the world yet 
not of it. 

III. His usefulness is the usefulness of service. 

He "serves the Lord Christ"; and, by the same 
token, he is u debtor unto all." The rule of his life 
is the Golden Rule. 

That man may breathe but never lives, 
Who much receives but nothing gives, 
Whom none can praise, whom none can thank; 
Creation's blot, creation's blank. 

In our Lord's last interview with his disciples he 
gave them a parable containing in brief the phi- 
losophy of the Christian life: "I am the vine, ye 
are the branches. He that abideth in me and I in 
him, the same beareth much fruit; for apart from 
me ye can do nothing." In this parable he em- 
phasizes again and again the importance of fruit- 
fulness — u fruit" — "much fruit" — for "herein is 
my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit." 

What is this fruit? "The fruit of the Spirit," 
we are told, "is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, 
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self- 
control: against such there is no law"; and again, 
"As we have opportunity let us work that which 
is good toward all men." 

So runs the Sermon of the Palm-Tree. 

And the secret of its strength, beauty and useful- 



34 The Home Sanctuary 



ness is not far to seek. No sooner does the shoot 
leave the parent seed than it begins prospecting for 
the spring. Downward it makes its way, down and 
ever farther down, until it finds the living stream; 
and thenceforth it lives and thrives upon it. 

In like manner the Christian finds the source of 
his spiritual life in Christ. 

He is strong only in the strength of Christ; as 
Paul testifies, "I take pleasure in weaknesses, in 
injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, 
for Christ's sake; for when I am weak then am 1 
strong"; and again, "Most gladly therefore will I 
rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of 
Christ may rest upon me." (2 Corinthians 
12 :9-io.) 

He is holy so far forth as he succeeds in imitat- 
ing the character of Christ, and no farther: where- 
fore Peter exhorts us to become "partakers of the 
divine nature" through the experimental knowl- 
edge of Christ; adding, "And for this very cause 
adding on your part all diligence, in your faith sup- 
ply virtue; and in your virtue knowledge; and in 
your knowledge self-control; and in your self-con- 
trol patience; and in your patience godliness; and 
in your godliness brotherly kindness; and in your 
brotherly kindness love. For if these things are 
yours and abound, they make you to be not idle 
nor unfruitful unto the knowledge of our Lord 
Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:5-8.) 

And the usefulness of the Christian is measured 
by his co-operation with Christ in the work of his 



The Palm-Tree 



35 



kingdom. The coming of Christ into our world 
was for the purpose of ultimately establishing a 
kingdom of truth and righteousness on the ruins of 
sin. He said to his disciples, "As my Father hath 
sent me, even so send I you." This, then, is the 
business of all Christians, to hasten the coming of 
the Kingdom. All other interests must be subor- 
dinated to this; as he said, "Seek ye first the king- 
dom of God." Wealth is nothing, pleasure is 
nothing, earthly emoluments are nothing, in com- 
parison. All such works as hasten the coming of 
the Kingdom are "good works" ; and these were in 
the mind of the Master when he said, "Herein is 
my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit." 

So Christ is all. He is made unto us wisdom 
and righteousness, sanctification and redemption. 
Our strength, beauty and usefulness are in him. 

The enigma of our life is quaintly solved by 
George Herbert in this wise: 

Jesu is in my heart, his sacred name 

Is deeply carved there. But the other week 

A great affliction broke the little frame 
E'en all to pieces; which I went to seek. 

And first I found the corner where was J 

After where was ES, and next where U was graved. 

When I had got these parcels, instantly 

I sat me down to spell them, and perceived 

That to my broken heart, He was / ease you; 

And to my whole heart is JESU. 

This, then, is the peroration of the Sermon of 
the Palm-Tree : "Blessed are they whose lives are 
hid with Christ in God." 



36 The Home Sanctuary 

8. PRAYER 

Father in Heaven, be pleased to sanctify 
me wholly by the indwelling of thy Spirit. 
Help me to grow daily in grace and in the 
knowledge of Jesus Christ. Grant that my 
whole spirit and soul and body may be pre- 
served blameless unto his coming, and that, 
awaking in his likeness, I may dwell forever 
with him. Amen. 

9. HYMN: "Guide me, O thou great Jehovah !" 

10. BENEDICTION 

The Lord bless thee and keep thee: the 
Lord make his face shine upon thee and be 
gracious unto thee : the Lord lift up his coun- 
tenance upon thee and give thee peace. Amen. 



THIRD SERVICE 



The Foolishness of Solomon 

1. INVOCATION 

f\ Lord, thou hast promised to be nigh 
^ unto all that call upon thee. Help me 
now to lift up holy hands with my heart unto 
thee in the heavens; and be pleased to bow 
thy heavens and come down unto me. Let 
the words of my mouth and the meditations 
of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, 
my Strength and my Redeemer! Amen. 

2. HYMN: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Al- 

mighty." 

3. SCRIPTURE LESSON 

2 Chronicles 1 n-12. 
Luke 1 1 :29»54. 

4. PRAYER 

O Lord, help me to forget myself to-day. 
Thou knowest how many things I need : par- 
don and sanctifying grace, patience in suffer- 
ing, light and power and holy zeal ; and thou 
lovest me enough to grant them all. But I am 
thinking, Lord, of those who are in deeper 
distress than mine. Oh, pity the sick, the 

37 



The Home Sanctuary 

lonely and discouraged. Go up and down the 
aisles of hospitals, and lay thy gentle, healing 
hand on those who languish on restless beds. 
Thou art the great Physician; there is healing 
in thy touch. And have compassion on those 
who continue in their sins, because they know 
thee not. Thou wast wounded for our trans- 
gressions and bruised for our iniquities, that 
by thy stripes we might be healed ; but, Lord, 
there are millions on millions in the world 
who have never heard this good news. Thy 
people have known it for nineteen hundred 
years, and have not sufficiently told it. Thou 
didst give them the message and bid them 
carry it to the uttermost parts of the earth; 
but they have stopped short. There are re- 
gions beyond still waiting and dying for want 
of it. Send abroad thy mighty Gospel. Stim- 
ulate thy Church to carry it even to the last 
man. Enable me to do my part. Mine is only 
a little parish; but help and strengthen me to 
be faithful in it. Bless all those who minister 
in the pulpits of the world to-day. Keep them 
loyal to thy Word and to the faith once for 
all delivered to the saints. Anoint their eyes 
that they may see the full glory of the Gospel, 
and touch their lips with fire that they may 
faithfully and effectually declare it. Open the 
hearts of the people, that they may joyously 
receive it, and incline their steps to a con- 
sistent walk. So glorify thyself this day, O 



The Palm-Tree 



39 



Lord, in all thy servants and in me; for Jesus' 
sake. Amen. 

5. HYMN : "He that goeth forth with weeping." 

6. OFFERING 

7. THE SERMON 

The Foolishness of Solomon 

"And God gave Solomon wisdom and under- 
standing exceeding much, and largeness of heart, 
even as the sand that is on the sea-shore. And 
Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the 
children of the east, and all the wisdom of Egypt. 
For he was wiser than all men ; than Ethan the 
Ezrahite and Heman and Calcol and Darda, the 
sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the na- 
tions round about.'' (1 Kings 4:29-31.) 

The wisdom of Solomon is proverbial. It was 
a heavenly gift. The youthful king, on the day of 
his coronation, made this prayer: "O my God, I am 
but a little child. I know not how to rule this so 
great people. I know not how to go out or come 
in before thee. Give me, therefore, an understand- 
ing heart." The answer came as a matter of 
course ; for here is the promise, "If any of you lack- 
eth wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all 
liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given 
him." (James 1-5.) 

As Solomon eventually did many foolish and 
wicked things, it is important to ascertain the na- 
ture of this wisdom with which he was so richly 
endowed. Obviously it had its limitations. We 



40 The Home Sanctuary 



shall see, if I mistake not, that it had little or noth- 
ing to do with that spiritual wisdom that has for 
its supreme end the perfection of character and the 
attainment of eternal life. 

I. He was a scientist; probably the leading sci- 
entist of his time. "He spake of trees, from the 
cedar that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that 
springeth out of the wall; He spake also of beasts 
and of birds and of creeping things and of fishes." 
It has even been inferred from his reference to the 
loosing of the silver cord and the breaking of the 
golden bowl, and to the pitcher at the fountain and 
the wheel at the cistern, that as an anatomist he 
was acquainted with the intricate functions of our 
physical life, such as the circulation of the blood, 
thus anticipating Harvey's discovery by some thou- 
sands of years. 

II. He was a philosopher also. 

While the business of a scientist is to discover 
and assemble facts, that of the philosopher is to 
get back of those facts and discover their causes. 
This is precisely what Solomon did; "I applied my 
heart," he says, "to seek and to search out by wis- 
dom concerning all that is done under heaven." 
There is a tradition that his manuscripts fell into 
the hands of Aristotle, who derived from them the 
rudimental principles of a system of philosophy 
which is current even in these days. 

III. He was furthermore a master of litera- 
ture. His reign is as celebrated in Jewish history 



The Palm-Tree 



4i 



as is the Augustan Age in Roman history. He 
built a royal library, known as u The House of 
Wisdom." Whether he insisted on having his 
name written over its doorway is not known ; but it 
probably contained a famous collection of scrolls 
in many tongues. He was not only a generous 
patron of learning, but a voluminous author as 
well. He wrote three thousand proverbs, truths 
compressed into portable form and convenient for, 
the needs of common life. He wrote a thousand 
and five poems; among them an Epithalamium, 
which is rightly called u The Song of Songs." Who 
has ever sung so sweetly of the springtime? 

My beloved spake and said unto me, 

"Rise up, my love> my fair one, and come away! 

For lo, the winter is past ; 

The rain is over and gone; 

The flowers appear on the earth; 

The time of the singing of birds is come, 

And the voice of the turtle dove is heard in our land. 

The fig-tree ripeneth her green figs, 

And the vines are in blossom; 

They give forth their fragrance. 

Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away!" 

IV. He was a master of economics, too; par- 
ticularly of that personal sort of economics which 
used to be called "Merchantry," or the art of 
feathering one's own nest. He was the prince of 
merchant princes. He had at Ezion-geber an ex- 
tensive shipyard, from which his fleets sailed out to 
Ophrah and Sheba, bearing wine and cereals in re- 
turn for the commodities of those distant lands. 



42 The Home Sanctuary 

This maritime traffic, besides an extensive commerce 
with Egypt and Phoenicia and the Valley of the 
Euphrates, was under his personal control. Wealth 
poured into his exchequer. He built for himself 
a magnificent palace, which had pillars of cedar 
crowned with capitals of gold, and a thousand 
golden shields suspended on its outer walls. His 
feasts were superb : the drinking vessels were of 
gold; none were of silver, because "silver was noth- 
ing thought of." The daily allowance of his house- 
hold was a hundred sheep and thirty oxen, with 
hart and fallow deer and fatted fowl. His gar- 
dens were called "paradises"; his stables were fur- 
nished with four thousand stalls. It is difficult, in 
these times of republican simplicity, to form a just 
conception of so magnificent an establishment. But 
grander than all was the king himself sitting on his 
ivory throne or riding forth in his chariot of state, 
scepter in hand, sword upon thigh, guards sur- 
rounding him, his robes perfumed with myrrh and 
aloes and his hair powdered with dust of gold. 
Such was the personage who has passed into history 
as "Solomon in all his glory." 

V. But the wisdom with which he was particu- 
larly endowed was such as he needed for the gov- 
erning of "this so great a people." He was pre- 
eminent in statecraft — a great lawmaker, a great 
judge, and a great administrator. He saw to it 
that the various functions of his government — legis- 
lative, judicial and executive — were all centered in 
him. The years of his administration were char- 



The Palm-Tree 



43 



acterized by an unwonted peace and an unparal- 
leled prosperity. His people "dwelt safely, every 
man under his vine and under his fig tree, from 
Dan even to Beer-sheba." The king's name was it- 
self a salaam: "Shelomoh," the peaceful. The 
neighboring tribes were either allied in friendly in- 
tercourse or held in check by a vigorous display of 
force. This was indeed Israel's Golden Age. 

But here we call a halt. The wisdom of Solo- 
mon was not omniscience. It is recorded that the 
Queen of Sheba, hearing of his wisdom, came a 
distance of fifteen hundred miles to prove him with 
hard questions ; and he seemed to her a very encyclo- 
pedia of knowledge insomuch that she said, "It 
was a true report that I heard in mine own land 
of thine acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I be- 
lieved not the words until I came, and mine eyes had 
seen it, and, behold, the half was not told me!" 
Nevertheless, had this pagan queen been moved to 
question him along some of the lines of higher think- 
ing, she must have discovered that his wisdom broke 
down at the vital point. For indeed he was in many 
ways "the wisest, brightest, meanest, of mankind." 
With all his knowledge, there were many of the 
most important things of which he had practically 
no knowledge at all. 

( i ) He did not know God. It is true he knew 
much about him. He could have talked theology 
by the hour, and orthodox theology at that; but 
practically he did not know God. He did indeed 
build a temple for the worship of Jehovah, prob- 



44 The Home Sanctuary 



ably the most magnificent sanctuary ever seen in 
this world. And he was scrupulous in paying his 
devotions there. He was most generous in obla- 
tions and sacrifices. If God could be satisfied with 
the fat of rams and fed beasts, then Solomon was 
an exceedingly pious man. Yet with all this pomp 
and circumstance of worship his religion was mere 
make-believe. The proof is on record: "He loved 
the Lord, only he sacrificed and burned incense in 
the high places." Observe the fatal significance of 
that word "only." There were shrines and altars 
on all the surrounding hills, some left over from 
preceding reigns, but many more erected by him, 
in honor of pagan gods. Like Redwald the Saxon, 
he faced both ways. And all the while he wore 
upon his forehead the shema on which was in- 
scribed, "Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is 
one Lord; and thou shalt have no other gods be- 
fore him !" 

(2) Nor did he believe in immortality. In all 
his writings there is nothing to indicate that he ex- 
pected to live anywhere except here and now. Lis- 
ten to this: "The sun ariseth and the sun goeth 
down and hasteth to its place where it ariseth. The 
wind goeth about continually in the course and the 
wind returneth again to its circuits. All the rivers 
run into the sea." — "Then said I in my heart, as it 
happeneth to the fool, so will it happen even to 
me. . . . There is nothing better for a man 
than that he should eat and drink and make his 
soul enjoy good in his labor. . . . For that 



The Palm-Tree 



45 



which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; 
as the one dieth, so dieth the other. . . . All go 
unto one place; all are of the dust, and all return 
to dust again. . . . Wherefore I saw that there 
is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in 
his works ; for who shall bring him back to see what 
shall be after him ? . . . Vanity of vanities, saith 
the preacher: all is vanity." Job, Moses, David 
and other of the ancient worthies had spoken of a 
life farther on ; and they lived accordingly, as if they 
were expecting it. But Solomon invested his as- 
sets for present pleasure and emolument. God 
once gave to Abraham a great command with 
promise, saying, "Get thee out of thy country and 
from thy father's house unto the land that I will 
show thee"; and we know that he believed that 
promise from the fact that as he journeyed along 
the Euphrates he built no abiding-place by the way, 
but dwelt in tents, as one "looking for a better 
country." By the same token we know that Solo- 
mon had no practical thought of immortality, be 
cause he lived as if this life were all. 

(3) He was singularly regardless of the princi- 
ples which underlie moral character. His three 
thousand proverbs, like the maxims of "Poor 
Richard," have to do chiefly with temporal things: 
such as, "Go to the ant, thou sluggard: consider 
her ways and be wise." The substance of them is, 
"Be virtuous and you will be happy." He doubt- 
less knew the rules of right conduct; but they were 
not interwoven with the fiber of his life. He had 



46 The Home Sanctuary 



impressions, but apparently no convictions. He 
had much to say about personal purity and the 
avoidance of strange women; yet in his own harem 
there were seven hundred wives and three hundred 
concubines. "O Solomon," cries Bishop Hall, 
" where was thy wisdom while thy vain affections 
were running away with thee into such vile voluptu- 
ousness? Thine eye might be clear; but thy hand 
was palsied. How many a man have I known 
whose head was thus broken with his own rib !" 

(4) He had, furthermore, no practical acquaint- 
ance with benevolence. His life was self-centered 
to the last degree. He wrote many proverbs with 
reference to the u square deal"; but in business 
everything was grist that came to his mill. He 
lived apparently without regard for the other man. 
u His god was his belly and his glory was in his 
shame." He formed an industrial alliance with 
Hiram of Tyre which quite eclipsed all the capi- 
talistic combines of these days. That was a great 
syndicate : u Solomon & Hiram." They "cornered" 
the commodities of the world. They stretched 
forth Briarian hands and gathered in the treas- 
ures of all lands and seas. 

(5) But, most important of all, Solomon was 
practically as oblivious of "the Hope of Israel" as 
if he had never heard of it. The Hope of Israel 
was the coming of Christ. The Oracles were full 
of it. The Lord had set apart Israel as a chosen 
people to keep these Oracles and hand down their 
Messianic prophecy to succeeding ages. In the 



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47 



farewell charge of David to Solomon he said: "I 
am going the way of all the earth: be thou strong, 
therefore, and show thyself a man; and keep the 
charge of Jehovah thy God." But Solomon was 
recreant to that charge. He forgot the Oracles, 
and, so far as the records show, utterly forgot that 
Christ was coming. In all his writings you will not 
find the faintest gleam of the Messianic hope. Had 
he been loyal to his trust, the people for whom he 
was officially responsible might never have crucified 
Christ! But he defaulted. His confession is in 
the Book of Ecclesiastes, where, after swinging 
around the whole circle of sordid pursuits and 
pleasures, he records the utter vanity of life. Not 
even in that confession does he betray the faintest 
hope of the coming of Christ or the slightest re- 
gard for the charge which had been so solemnly 
committed to him. The best that he can say is, 
"Vanity of vanities: all is vanity! This is the end 
of the matter : Fear God and keep his command- 
ments; for this is the whole duty of man." 

There is nothing sadder than the story of Solo- 
mon's fall, — so gloriously endowed, so splendidly 
equipped, so singularly blessed, yet going down to 
his grave with "Wise Fool" written across his 
brow. Mene, mene ) tekel } upharsin! We have 
seen Adam hiding his shame among the trees of the 
garden; Noah, drunken and uncovered at noon- 
day; Samson, blind and bound with fetters, grind- 
ing like a woman at the mill; David, playing the 
idiot and scrabbling on the gates of Gath; but 



48 The Home Sanctuary 



never was a sadder or more painful sight than this : 
Solomon among his concubines, spending his 
strength in sensuous pleasure and bowing before 
the smoking altars of false gods. 

So fallen, so lost ! The light withdrawn 

Which once he wore; 
The glory from his gray hairs gone 

Forevermore. 
Of all we loved and honored naught 

Save power remains; 
A fallen angel's pride of thought 

Still strong in chains. 
All else is gone. From those great eyes 

The soul has fled. 
When faith is lost, when honor dies, 

The man is dead! 
Then pay the reverence of old days 

To his dead fame ; 
Walk backward with averted gaze, 

And hide the shame ! 

We are told of One who claimed to be u a greater 
than Solomon." His training had been in a car- 
penter shop. In his preaching he had little to say 
of science or philosophy or literature or economics 
or statecraft, but much about truth and righteous- 
ness. God, immortality, character and usefulness 
filled the horizons of his life. "I am the way," 
said he, "and the truth and the life : no one cometh 
unto the Father but by me." He claimed to be the 
Wisdom that u standeth at the corner of the street," 
with riches in his left hand and in his right length 
of days. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom in 



The Palm-Tree 49 



him ! Aye, and he too is wiser than Solomon ; be- 
cause to sit as a disciple at Jesus' feet is to be "wise 
toward God." 

On one occasion the Great Teacher took a child 
upon his knee and, looking around upon the assem- 
bled company, said something which is of more 
practical importance than all the three thousand 
proverbs of Solomon rolled into one. It was this : 
"Verily I say unto you : Except ye turn and become 
as little children" — in simplicity, freedom from 
guile, docile humility and faith — "ye shall in no 
wise enter into the Kingdom of heaven." 

8. PRAYER 

O God, make me wise unto salvation. Give 
me light for my journey, step by step. There 
are many things which I can not know; but I 
must know thee. For this is life eternal — to 
know thee, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast 
sent. Wherefore be pleased to unveil thyself 
unto me. Show me thy fullness in Christ ; for 
thy Name's sake. Amen. 

9. HYMN: "How firm a foundation." 

10. BENEDICTION 

Now unto Him that is able to keep you 
from falling and to present you faultless in 
the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, 
to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory 
forever. Amen. 



FOURTH SERVICE 



The Poverty of Croesus 



INVOCATION 

TLTOW amiable are thy tabernacles, O 



*• Lord of hosts. My soul longeth, yea, 
fainteth, for thy courts. My heart and my 
flesh cry out for the living God. Quicken me, 
and I will call upon thy name. Open thou 
mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things 
out of thy law. Draw nigh, that I may com- 
mune with thee; and thy name shall have con- 
tinual praise. Amen. 



HYMN: "All hail the power of Jesus' Name !" 
SCRIPTURE LESSON 



To thee, O God, be praise and honor and 
thanksgiving for all thy benefits. I thank 
thee for life; for in thee I live and move and 
have my being. If thou wert to withdraw thy 
hand for a moment I should sink into nothing- 
ness, as when a drop of dew exhales into the 
air. I thank thee for all that makes life worth 
living: for home and kinship and loving 




Proverbs 30:1-9. 
Luke 12:13-34. 



PRAYER 



50 



The Poverty of Crgesus 51 

friends; for happiness and hope and the op- 
portunity of doing good. Give me, I pray 
thee, a right conception of life. Forbid that 
I should bound it by the narrow circum- 
scriptions of time and space. I am made in 
thy likeness, wherefore I can not die. I met 
thee on my birthday, and, behold! I go on 
with thee forever. Blessed be thy name for 
life and immortality brought to light in the 
Gospel. And blessed be thy name for con- 
stant aid as I journey toward the immortal 
life. Pardon my sins, for Jesus' sake; that I 
may go without dragging a hopeless chain af- 
ter me. Sanctify me by thy Spirit, that I may 
run joyously in the way of thy command- 
ments. Enlarge my heart, that I may do good 
as I have opportunity unto all men. Give me 
a clear vision of Christ, the great Exemplar, 
and enable me to grow daily more and more 
like him. Bless all thy people, of whatever 
name or tongue, who worship in thy courts 
to-day. Look graciously on the sick and suf- 
fering; and enable them to realize that all 
things work together for good to them that 
love thee. Incline the hearts of those who 
know thee not to come running unto thee. 
Show them thy beauty in the face of thy be- 
loved Son, so that he shall appear as the chief- 
est among ten thousand and altogether lovely. 
Send thy Gospel to the regions beyond, to 
those who dwell in darkness and the shadow 



52 The Home Sanctuary 

of death. Give them the light of the great 
salvation, O thou God of all the children of 
men, and bring them speedily to thy feet, a 
nation in a day. Let thy word, wherever it 
is taught or preached, run and be glorified. 
Let thy grace be magnified in the conversion 
of multitudes. Make use of all Christians as 
fishers of men, and make me willing to be used 
that way. Hear and answer, Father of all 
mercy; not for any worth or worthiness of 
mine, but because I ask in the all-prevailing 
name of Christ, my divine Brother and thy 
beloved Son. Amen. 

5. HYMN: "There is a Fountain filled with 

Blood." 

6. OFFERING 

7. THE SERMON 

The Poverty of Croesus 

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every 
spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ: 
even as he chose us in him before the foundation 
of the world, that we should be holy and with- 
out blemish before him in love; having foreor- 
dained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus 
Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure 
of his will ; to the praise of the glory of his grace 
wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved ; 
in whom we have redemption through his blood, 
the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of 
his grace. (Eph. 1 : 2-7.) 



The Poverty of Crcesus 53 



Out of the dim shadows of the past emerges the 
figure of Croesus, the King of ancient Lydia. His 
claim to immortality lies in the fact that he was the 
richest of men. "As rich as Croesus" is a current 
proverb even in these days. But, notwithstanding 
his immense wealth, all did not go well with him. 
Of his two sons one was born dumb and the other 
was slain in, early youth. This man had everything 
that gold could purchase; yet his life was not worth 
living. His crown being lost in battle, he passed 
his declining years in lonely exile. His funeral was 
celebrated with splendid pomp and circumstance. 
Tradition says that his personal possessions were 
heaped together and burned in a lofty pyre: over 
it towered a cloud of smoke, while from beneath 
issued a stream of molten gold. So passes the dream 
of treasure. Poor Crcesus ! He brought nothing 
into this world and carried nothing out of it. 

I y^e another figure, in striking contrast with 
this : an old man, bearing in his body the scars of 
many scourgings, chained to his Roman guard, 
poor and lonely, shivering for the want of an old 
cloak which he had left at Troas in more prosper- 
ous days; yet protesting, "I have all and abound !" 
His life has been passed u in labor and travail, in 
hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and 
nakedness" ; yet he is content and happy, "as poor 
yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet 
possessing all things." This man was rich — aye, 
richer than Croesus; because he was rich toward 
God! 



54 



The Home Sanctuary 



He was now writing to a company of other poor 
folk at Ephesus. His letter might appropriately 
be entitled "The Riches of Grace. " In it he gives 
the inventory of his possessions, of things that gold 
could not buy. 

All these have come to him through grace ; that 
is, the unmerited favor of God. 

For merit lives from man to man, 
But never, Lord, from man to thee. 

It is the "unearned increment" that makes our mil- 
lionaires. (If their only wealth were such as had 
been acquired in accordance with the primal law 
of nature, "by the sweat of thy face," it would in 
most cases be an easy matter to count it.) God's 
millionaires are made in the same way; and this 
Paul the prisoner was one of them. 

His sign manual was "grace." His balance- 
sheet was an account of Profit and Loss. All that 
he had ever earned was entered as loss; and his 
only profit was the unearned increment which God 
had graciously bestowed upon him. He had some 
skill as a tent-maker, perhaps some modest savings 
laid by for a rainy day, a considerable amount of 
book learning as a university graduate and pupil 
of the illustrious Gamaliel, a valuable franchise of 
Roman citizenship, and an honorable position as 
chief inquisitor under the Jewish Sanhedrin. By 
most men such acquisitions are treasured as hold- 
ings; but Paul did not so estimate them. "Yea, 
verily," he says, "I count all things to be loss for 



The Poverty of Crcesus 



55 



the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus 
my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, 
and do count them but refuse that I may gain 
Christ and be found in him!" He laid everything 
of this sort at the feet of Jesus when he entered 
into covenant with him. 

So much for the "loss"; what was the profit? 
It was briefly comprehended in one word; "that I 
may win Christ and be found in him." In Christ 
he found a competence and an independent for- 
tune. "All things are yours," he wrote to the Cor- 
inthians, "whether the world, or life, or death, or 
things present, or things to come; all are yours, 
and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's." 

In our text he itemizes the Riches of Grace. 

The first item is Redemption — "In whom we 
have redemption through his blood, the forgive- 
ness of our trespasses." 

The word "redemption" means a buying 
back. Paul thinks of himself as having been 
"sold under sin" ; but, having been bought back out 
of this bondage, he has entered into "the glorious 
liberty of the children of God." 

And this is altogether of grace; or, as he puts it, 
"according to the riches of his grace wherein he 
hath abounded toward us." A few years before he 
wrote this letter, while preaching in Jerusalem, he 
had been arrested, carried to the castle of Antonia 
and delivered to the scourge. At this juncture he 
quietly asked, "Is it lawful to scourge a freeman, 
without trial?" The chief captain said, "Tell me, 



56 The Home Sanctuary 



art thou a Roman?" He answered, "I am." The 
captain said, "With a great sum obtained I this 
freedom." His prisoner replied proudly, "But I 
was born free!" While this was true of his civil 
franchise, he would not for a moment have af- 
firmed it of that freedom wherewith Christ had 
made him free. For this he was wholly indebted 
to Christ, who had sacrificed his own life to ran- 
som him from the bondage of sin. All that Paul 
had ever done in these premises was simply to be- 
lieve. And even for this he claimed no credit, say- 
ing, "By grace have ye been saved, through faith; 
and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." 

The same condition is affixed to redemption in 
every case. We are redeemed from bondage as 
the Jews were delivered out of Egypt. Not one 
of them bought his way to freedom or escaped by 
his own effort. God "with a mighty hand and a 
stretched-out arm" set them free. 

The blood of the Passover was the visible sign 
of their ransom; but the blood itself was ineffec- 
tive save as it was sprinkled upon the lintels of their 
doors. Faith is the hyssop branch with which the 
blood is applied to the hearts of men. 

The second item in the Inventory of Grace is 
Adoption — "the adoption of children, by Jesus 
Christ himself, according to the good pleasure of 
his will." Any man can say "God"; but no man 
can say "Father" who has not been received by the 
Spirit of adoption into the household of God. 

This also is of grace, since we have neither done 



The Poverty of Crcesus 57 

nor can do anything to deserve it. The penitent 
thief had no time to make merit or to repair the 
damages of a life of sin. He had only an hour to 
live. Yet he went to Paradise as an adopted son 
of God. It is obvious that, in his case, there could 
be no personal desert; and, so far as adoption is 
concerned, the most righteous saint on earth has 
done no more than he to deserve it. We are all 
alike "chosen according to the good pleasure of his 
will." 

And the choosing is "through Christ," who is 
the Elder Brother of us all. In the very article of 
death he reached out his pierced hand to the peni- 
tent thief, and so introduced him into God's fam- 
ily as an adopted son. He alone could do this, 
because he is God's "only begotten" or unadopted 
Son. In the Epistle to the Romans it is written 
that we are "foreordained to be conformed to the 
image of his Son, that he might be the first-born 
among many brethren." A great multitude whom 
no man can number pay tribute in heaven to the 
love of this Elder Brother, who has brought them 
into the Father's house. 

And this adoption is on one condition; to wit, 
faith. The desire of Christ, in offering himself as 
a ransom, was that all sinners should enter into this 
high privilege ; but not all are willing to have it so. 
There are multitudes who prefer to stand upon 
their own merit, as it is written, "He came 
unto his own, and they that were his own received 
him not. But as many as received him, to them 



58 The Home Sanctuary 



gave he the right to become children of God, even 
to them that believe on his name; who were born 
not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the 
will of man, but of God." The penitent thief was 
not translated to Paradise without a confession of 
his faith. It was briefly comprehended in one word, 
"Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy 
kingdom!" But volumes could not have expressed 
more. It meant : 

Thee my new Master now I call, 
And consecrate to thee my all. 

The third item in the Inventory of Grace is 
Sanctification — "He chose us in him before the 
foundation of the world; that we should be holy 
and without blemish before him." 

No one is made perfect at conversion. Min- 
erva is said to have leaped full-armed from the 
forehead of Jove; but no Christian is born that 
way. Character is a development under the influ- 
ence of the Spirit of God. No one is a true Chris- 
tian who is not growing better every day. He may 
not be conscious of it, may lament that he is "liv- 
ing at a poor dying rate"; but grow he must. He 
cannot stand still. Living is growing. Following 
Christ is moving on. The seagulls in the wake of 
a steamer which is making thirty knots an hour 
seem to poise on motionless wings; nevertheless, 
though noiselessly and imperceptibly, they are 
keeping pace with the ship. So does the humblest 
Christian advance in his spiritual life; and the fact 
that he mourns his imperfection and is ambitious 



The Poverty of Crcesus 59 



to "fly up the heavenly way," is proof presumptive 
of his growing toward God. 

This, too, is of grace; wherefore sanctification is 
called "growth in grace." And every new attain- 
ment is reckoned among the gifts of the Spirit, 
who is himself fittingly called "the gift of 
God." 

And whatever attainments we make in the higher 
life are through Christ; for the function of the 
Spirit is to take of the things of Jesus and show 
them unto us. The Master said, "He shall bring 
to your remembrance all that I said unto you." It 
is thus that he is ever kept before us as our Lord 
and Exemplar; so that the truths of his preaching 
become our Creed and its precepts become our 
Moral Code ; and our growth in character is meas- 
ured by our earnestness in striving to be like him. 

And faith is the vital nexus by which we are 
bound to him. It is obvious then that everything 
depends on our believing. The faith on which our 
growth is conditioned must be a living faith; that 
is, a faith expressing itself in works. A moral life 
has its beginning in faith. It is recorded that when 
one came to Jesus asking, "What must we do that 
we might work the works of God?" that is, "How 
shall we do such works as will commend us to 
God?" he answered, "This is the work of God, 
that ye believe in Him whom he hath sent." No 
man can expect to be on friendly terms with the 
King while rejecting the King's son. No one who 
refuses to believe in the only-begotten Son of God 



6o The Home Sanctuary 



can reasonably hope to build up such a character 
or to perform such works as shall make him worthy 
of the complacent love of God. 

The fourth item in the Inventory is Glorifica- 
tion. This means heaven; for in due time the 
riches of grace become the riches of glory, Here 
are the links of the living chain: "Whom God 
foreknew he also foreordained to be conformed to 
the image of his Son; . . . and whom he fore- 
ordained, them he also called; and whom he called, 
them he also justified; and whom he justified, them 
he also glorified." 

This glorification is also of grace. Heaven is re- 
ferred to as our "purchased possession"; but the 
purchase price is never paid by us. The Land of 
Promise which was apportioned among the chil- 
dren of Israel was not held by them in fee simple. 
Every farm was a leasehold held for God. In like 
manner the better country for which we look is 
not for those who claim it by right of ownership 
or merit, but for such as are willing to hold it as an 
inheritance received through the unmerited favor 
of God. 

And this again is through Christ. The counter- 
sign at heaven's gate is, "In His Name!" A 
stranger came to my study to see me recently, and, 
as it chanced to be my busy hour, I felt obliged to 
say no. On being informed, however, that he was 
a friend of my son I laid everything by and gave 
him a cordial welcome. He who would get into 
heaven must do it in like manner. The door is al- 



The Poverty of Crcesus 6i 



ways open to those who can claim a cordial ac- 
quaintance with the King's Son. 

But that claim must be substantiated by faith in 
him. In heaven there are "ten thousand times ten 
thousand and thousands of thousands" of saints 
triumphant ; but there is not one among them who 
can not join in the song, "Worthy art thou; for 
thou wast slain and didst purchase unto God with 
thy blood men of every tribe and tongue and peo- 
ple and nation, and madest them to be unto our 
God a kingdom and priests!" 

Such is the Inventory of Grace. Its increment 
is all unearned, all of grace, through Christ by 
faith in him. 

But responsibilities as well as privileges are in- 
volved in these possessions. A cab-driver, sitting 
drowsily aloft with his lines in hand, was aroused 
by a voice saying, "Are you thus and so?" The 
speaker was an attorney, who, on receiving an af- 
firmative answer, added, "I have a letter stating 
that your uncle in England has left you twenty 
thousand pounds." The man seemed dazed for 
a moment; then realizing his good fortune he un- 
covered himself, saying simply, "Good-by, hat!" 
No more cab-driving for the heir of a fortune! If 
once we could realize what it means to be pos- 
sessed of the riches of grace, we should be able to 
put a truer estimate on the beggarly things of the 
lower life. We should be moved to say, like Paul, 
"I count all things to be loss . . . that I may 
gain Christ and be found in him !" For if Christ be 



62 The Home Sanctuary 



ours, all things are ours. We are "children of 
God; and if children, then heirs; heirs of God and 
joint-heirs with Christ" to "an inheritance incor- 
ruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away." 
This being so, what manner of persons ought we 
to be? God help us to value aright our present 
privileges and the purchased possession that awaits 
us ! 

Our treasure is laid up in bags that wax not old. 
We are richer than Croesus ! Our wealth is ex- 
pressed in terms of eternal life. Fire cannot burn 
it; death cannot deprive us of it. Aye, richer than 
Croesus, a thousandfold, is the man who is rich 
toward God ! 

8. PRAYER 

O Lord, give me a sincere ambition to 
make the most of myself and do my utmost 
for thee. And, having done my best, make 
me content with my lot. Give me enough of 
food convenient for me. Enrich me with the 
treasure which this world can neither give nor 
take away. Give me to know the riches of 
thy grace. Be thou my all in all; for Christ's 
sake. Amen. 

9. HYMN: "Father, whate'er of earthly bliss." 

10. BENEDICTION 

Now may the God of peace, who brought 
again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, 



The Poverty of Crcesus 63 



that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the 
blood of the everlasting covenant, make you 
perfect in every good work to do his will, 
through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for- 
ever. Amen. 



FIFTH SERVICE 



The Double-Minded Man 

i. INVOCATION 

Othou Eternal and Ever-blessed God! 
I confess my inability to approach thee 
aright. Give me a spirit of humble faith and 
reverent boldness as I draw near in the Name 
of Christ. Teach me my need and thy suf- 
ficiency ; and permit me to enrich my soul with 
thee ; for Jesus' sake. Amen. 

£. HYMN : "Hark, ten thousand harps and 
voices." 

3. SCRIPTURE LESSON 

1 Kings 18:17-21. 
Luke 16:1-13. 

4. PRAYER 

O God, my Father, I thank thee for the 
revelation of thy love. I know thou art the 
adorable One, infinite, eternal, and unchange- 
able in all thy glorious attributes. Angels 
and archangels worship thee with veiled faces, 
crying, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Al- 
mighty!" I am affrighted when, bearing the 
shameful burden of sin, I venture to lift my 
eyes toward thee. But, blessed be thy Name, 
64 



The Double-Minded Man 65 



thou hast declared thy willingness in Christ 
to remove that burden. In his Name I ap- 
proach thee; and, in the spirit of adoption, 
call thee Father. Thou lovest me. Oh, won- 
derful grace ! What manner of love is this, 
that I should be called a child of God ! And 
thou hast a blessed surprise in store for me 
farther on. Now are we sons of God; but 
it doth not yet appear what we shall be. Eye 
hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have en- 
tered into the heart of man the things which 
thou hast prepared for those that love thee. 
And meanwhile thou leadest me through 
green pastures and by still waters toward the 
apocalypse of thy grace. I am assured that 
all things, here and now, are working to- 
gether for my good, because I love thee. Are 
my pains and sorrows, my failures and dis- 
appointments, my long nights and weary 
days, all included in thy blessed plan for me ? 
Then, Lord, if I must needs glory, I will 
glory in tribulation; for tribulation worketh 
patience, and patience experience, and experi- 
ence hope; and hope maketh not ashamed. 
Help me ever to see the bright light in the 
cloud of thy Providence. Enable me to rest 
and be quiet. Teach me to pray with faith — 
not for myself only, but for all who are in 
trouble and calling upon thee. Enlarge my 
heart in self-forgetfulness, and make me more 
like Christ, who came not to be ministered 



66 The Home Sanctuary 



unto, but to minister. Make me of some use 
in this world; and to that end make me ready 
to go wherever I am sent to do thy holy will ; 
for Jesus' sake. Amen. 

5. HYMN: u Oh, could I speak the matchless 

worth!" 

6. OFFERING 

7. THE SERMON 

The Double-Minded Man 

"If any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of 
God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth 
not ; and it shall be given him. But let him ask 
in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth 
is like a surge of the sea driven by the wind and 
tossed. For let not that man think that he shall 
receive anything of the Lord ; a double-minded 
man, unstable in all his ways." (James 1 : 5-8.) 

It is quite certain that nobody would ever charge 
James with being a double-minded man. He had 
one mind, and it was usually made up. His colors 
were nailed to the mast : there was no question as 
to what he believed; and he was ever ready to give 
a reason for the faith that was in him. 

He was pastor of the church in Jerusalem and, 
by reason of the importance of his parish, was 
probably regarded as the leading preacher of his 
time. He has left nothing but a brief epistle in five 
chapters, which is called "general" because it is ad- 



The Double-Minded Man 67 



dressed not to any particular church, but to Chris- 
tians of all time. We gain from this epistle an ink- 
ling of his homiletic method; for it appears to be 
largely made up of sermon "briefs." There is one 
on The Tongue, another on Doing versus Talking, 
another on Faith without Works. 

In our text we have the outline of a sermon on 
The Double-Minded Man. His name is given. 
As the Greek furnished the preacher with no suit-, 
able name, he was obliged to coin one; to wit, 
"Dipsychus," the man with two minds, and neither 
of them made up. 

The sermon is in the nature of a character study. 
The artist paints, like an impressionist, in bold out- 
lines, beginning a long way off. My purpose is 
simply to fill out the syllabus which he here gives 
us. 

I. "If any of you lacketh wisdom" 
Our mental equipment is made up of two things : 
Knowledge and Wisdom. By knowledge is meant 
all that we acquire through the five physical senses ; 
by wisdom all that lies beyond the province of the 
physical senses and within the purview of faith, a 
sixth sense which is given us for the apprehension 
of spiritual things. Knowledge is important; but 
"wisdom is the principal thing." It has to do with 
the great problems that take hold of eternal life. 
One can get along without solving the secrets of 
nature ; but to know about God and the Atonement, 
Immortality, Character and Usefulness — this is of 
vital moment. Wherefore, get wisdom; and with 



68 The Home Sanctuary 



all thy getting get understanding as to the great 
questions that center in God. 

But who is this that "lacketh wisdom"? You 
and I ; everybody. There are three kinds of people 
in the world. First, those who lack wisdom and 
are not aware of it. These are the sciolists, who 
can not be taught anything, because they imagine 
they know it all. Secondly, those who lack wisdom 
and don't care. These are the agnostics, which is 
the Greek equivalent of the Latin ignoramuses. 
The great problems of life and immortality are 
nothing to them ; they have glanced at them, seen the 
difficulty of solution, and given them up. Thirdly, 
those who lack wisdom and would give anything in 
the world for it. They know how much depends 
upon it. Are they doubters ? Yes. Every thinker 
is a doubter. There is no harm in that; the harm 
is in keeping on doubting and never getting over 
it. The honest doubter is in agony until he has 
solved the questions that perplex him. He can not 
sleep until he has found out. The man, on the 
contrary, who nurses his doubts and makes a display 
of them is not a doubter at all, but an unbeliever. 
He plays with great problems and fancies he is 
thinking them out. He denies truth while insist- 
ing that he is trying to discover it. But suppose a 
man is really an honest doubter and eager to get 
wisdom, what shall he do ? 

II. "If any of you lacketh wisdom, let him — " 
What? Think? By all means. And here again 



The Double-Minded Man 69 



there are three kinds of people. First, those who 
think they are thinking when they are doing noth- 
ing of the kind. They do not grapple with a ques- 
tion, but skim along the surface of it. A butterfly 
makes its way from one flower to another in the 
same way, hovering over each for an instant and 
then speeding on; but here comes a busy bee, who 
goes down into an apple blossom and stays there 
till, when he comes forth, his thighs are laden with 
sweetness. He has something to show for it. Sec- 
ondly, those who do not take the trouble to think at 
all. Thinking means brain-sweat. It is easier to 
farm out their thinking than to do it themselves. 
The minister, the book-writer, and the newspaper 
man stand ready to frame opinions for them. The 
result is that their confession of faith is merely an 
echo, not a voice from the depths of their own souls. 
They are u taken up in the lips of talkers" and on 
they go — 

Crooked or straight, through quags or thorny dells, 
True to the jingling of their leader's bells. 

Thirdly, those who really think — think down into 
the depths of a problem, and keep on thinking un- 
til they have thought to the end of it. With what 
result ? Do they arrive at wisdom ? Oh, no ! The 
problems of the spiritual realm can not be solved 
by the unaided mind of man. A question in natural 
science may be satisfactorily answered on the evi- 
dence of the physical senses; but when a man gets 
beyond the circumscription of his finger-tips and 
wrestles with the questions of the unseen world he 



70 The Home Sanctuary 



must have help. His thinking is not in vain ; since 
it leads him to a deeper conviction of his lack of 
wisdom and a profound sense of his need of divine 
help to supply it. Therefore- 
Ill. "If any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask 
of God." 

But why of God? Why not ask of those who 
call themselves philosophic experts? Because, 
while they are subject to the same limitations that 
hamper us, God, who lives in the realm of the 
spiritual, knows all about it. Yes, God knows, if 
only he can be induced to tell. He knows all about 
himself, about immortality and about the redemp- 
tive work which he has wrought in our behalf 
through his only-begotten Son. He knows every- 
thing ! 

Eternity with all its years 

Stands present to thy view; 
To thee there's nothing old appears, 

Great God, there's nothing new! 

He not only knows, but, if he can be induced to 
speak, he will speak with authority. In the divine 
terminology there are no ifs or peradventures ; only 
Yea and Amen. 

It is at this very point, however, that an objec- 
tion is interposed by those who want a religion with 
authority left out. How preposterous that is ! A 
government without authority is a government 
without statutes or ordinances. Navigation with- 
out authority is sailing without chart or compass. 



The Double-Minded Man 71 



Trade without authority is buying and selling with- 
out a poundweight or a yardstick. It is like fishing 
without a line, bob or sinker, voting without a bal- 
lot, eating without food, and living without breath. 
A religion without authority is simply no religion. 

But will God speak? If the man who lacks wis- 
dom makes a humble prayer, is there reason to 
suppose that God will answer it? 

IV. "Let him ask of God, who giveth to all^ 
liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given 
him." There is a definite promise, one of a thou- 
sand, and the petitioner may depend upon it. 

But how will God answer? Will he pour wis- 
dom into the heart of a man, or by a direct revela- 
tion instruct him? Not at all. He will refer him 
to his Word. The Scriptures were given to this 
very end; and we are divinely enjoined to search 
them, because in them we rightly "think we have 
eternal life." The solution of spiritual problems 
given in the Scriptures is upon the authority of a 
"Thus saith the Lord"; for the Book was "written 
by holy men as they were moved by the Spirit of 
God." 

"Aye; but," they say, "this begs the whole ques- 
tion. You ask us to go to God, when as yet we 
are not sure there is a God, and to accept the state- 
ments of the Bible while we are still in doubt as 
to whether it is really the Word of God." 

Very well: the pastor of the Jerusalem Church 
had evidently anticipated an objection of this sort; 
for he continues : 



72 The Home Sanctuary 



V. "But let him ask in faith." 

This means that there is something for a man 
to believe, at the very outset of his quest. The first 
thing to believe is that there is a God. For "he 
that cometh to God must believe that he is, and 
that he is the rewarder of them that seek after 
him." If a man is an atheist his search for wisdom 
is a hopeless one ; for he who hath said in his heart 
"There is no God" is pronounced to be a fool; and 
"Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar, 
yet will not his foolishness depart from him." 

But how about the Scriptures? It is here that 
the Lord shows himself "the rewarder of them that 
diligently seek him" ; for the Bible is his overture 
to all truth-seekers. If there is a God anywhere 
in the universe and we are his offspring, is it likely 
that he would leave us without guidance, like ship- 
wrecked sailors on a boundless sea? The sugges- 
tion is not only contrary to instinct, but to reason as 
well. 

Here is a Book that claims to be the authorita- 
tive Word of God. What shall we do with it? 
The least that can be expected is that we shall ap- 
proach it as we would any other book; that is, 
without prejudice. How does a man read Dana's 
Geology or a volume of Macaulay's History? 
Does he begin by assuming that it can not be relied 
upon? On the contrary, he assumes its truth un- 
til he has found something within to discredit it. 
The trouble is that in these controversial days, 
when men imbibe their views of inspiration from 



The Double-Minded Man 73 



its enemies, they read the Bible with a preliminary 
conviction that they can not believe it. What can 
God reveal to a man with such a hoodwink over 
his eyes ? I do not believe that anybody ever read 
his Bible with a mind free from prejudice and open 
to conviction who did not conclude his search for 
wisdom by saying, "This is the veritable Word of 
God." 

VI. But, adds James, the prayer for wisdom 
must be made "without doubting." Why so? Be- 
cause "he that doubteth is like a surge of the sea 
driven by the wind and tossed" 

A wave does not travel; it gets nowhere. The 
winds move, the waters move ; but the wave simply 
marks time. It is a local disturbance, nothing more. 
So is he that doubteth. He wonders, vacillates 
and decides nothing either way. "Let not that 
man think that he shall receive anything of the 
Lord" And the fault is not the Lord's, but his. 
He is not in a receptive mood, wherefore the Lord 
has nothing for him. He is a coquette between two 
charmers, Truth and Error, with neither yes nor 
no for either of them. 

VII. This is Dipsychus, "the double-minded 
man" ; and he is "unstable in all his ways" 

The ways of a man are briefly comprehended in 
his creed and his conduct. Dipsychus has no creed; 
and, not having any creed of his own, he is fond of 
insisting that nobody else shall have one. He is a 
free-thinker. Ask him what he believes about God, 
or the divinity of Christ, or the Atonement, or the 



74 The Home Sanctuary 



Inspiration of the Scriptures, or the Life Beyond, 
and he will tell you that he has not decided about 
these matters, and will be likely to add that in his 
opinion these are riddles which can not be found 
out. 

The result is that, having no creed, he has no 
code of morals; for a man's moral principles are 
built upon his convictions of truth. The free- 
thinker is therefore a free-liver; and if his life is not 
so lawless as his manner of thought, it is simply be- 
cause a sense of expediency and common decency 
controls him. The logical sequence of Think-as- 
you-please is Go-as-you-please. 

So Dipsychus is "unstable in all his ways." He 
is like Reuben, of whom Jacob said, u Boiling over 
as water, thou shalt not have the pre-eminence." 
To have pre-eminence is to reach the highest levels 
of life; and the double-minded man is incapable 
of doing it. 

What, then, is the conclusion of the matter? It 
is found in the words which Elijah addressed to 
the multitudes on the day of the Lord's Contro- 
versy: u How long go ye limping between the two 
sides?" The figure is of one crossing from side to 
side and resting nowhere. 4 'How long go ye limp- 
ing between the two sides? If Jehovah be God, 
follow him ; but if Baal, then follow him !" Choose, 
one way or the other. Be a Christian if you can, 
or an infidel if you must; in any case do not con- 
tinue to be forever divided betwixt the two. 

The great problems are before you. Face them, 



The Double-Minded Man 75 



my friend, and look them in the eyes. What do 
you think of God? What do you think of the 
Bible? What do you think of Christ? What do 
you think of the Passion of the Cross ? What do you 
think of heaven and hell? You don't know? You 
haven't made up your mind? Yet these are the 
problems of life ! I pray you do not sleep to-night 
until you have grappled with them. Think some- 
thing to the end. Arrive somewhere. Be able to 
give a reason for the faith or for the unfaith that 
is in you. Get a foothold, a place to stand on. Be 
in a position to say of something, "This I know!" 
Find some place on terra firnia as a standpoint for 
the solution of problems farther on; and, having 
found a standpoint, hold it ! Let no passing wind 
of controversy swerve you. Put your feet in your 
coign of vantage and quit yourself there like a man 
with a mind of his own. And be ready on occasion 
to speak up like Luther, "Here I stand! I can not 
otherwise : God help me !" 

8. PRAYER 

Good Lord, deliver me from a double 
mind. Show me the solid ground of truth 
and righteousness, and help me to plant my 
feet upon it. Give me the grace of steadfast- 
ness that I may hold out. Make me faithful 
even unto death; and then, for Jesus' sake, 
give me an abundant entrance into life. Amen. 



9. HYMN: "Jesus, Saviour, pilot me 1" 



The Home Sanctuary 

BENEDICTION 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the 
love of God the Father and the communion 
of the Holy Ghost be with you. Amen. 



SIXTH SERVICE 



Behold, What Manner of Love! 

1. INVOCATION 

OGod, my refuge and strength, incline 
my heart to seek thy presence in Jesus' 
Name. Thou hast said, "When the poor and 
needy seek water and there is none, I will hear 
them and not forsake them." My fainting 
soul crieth out unto thee, as in a dry and 
thirsty land. Oh, give me to drink of the liv- 
ing waters of thy Grace. Be near to bless 
me; for in thy presence is fullness of joy. 
Amen. 

2. HYMN: "Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly 

Dove!" 

3. SCRIPTURE LESSON 

Psalm 103. 
Luke 15:1 1-32. 

4. PRAYER 

Father in Heaven, what more couldst thou 
have done for me that thou hast not done? 
Thy loving-kindnesses are as the sands of the 
seashore for multitude. Thou hast breathed 
into my nostrils the breath of life, fed me and 

77 



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clothed me, lulled me to sleep at night, and 
waked me every morning to a new day of 
privilege and opportunity. I have sinned 
against thy holy law ; but thou hast not dealt 
with me after my sins, nor rewarded me ac- 
cording to mine iniquities. Thou hast so loved 
me as to give thine only-begotten and well- 
beloved Son to pay my ransom from the 
shame, the penalty, and the power of sin; and 
thou hast promised all the benefits of his vi- 
carious death on the sole and simple condition 
that I believe in him. What manner of love is 
this? What shall I render unto thee for all 
thy tender mercies ? I will take the cup of thy 
salvation and pay unto thee my solemn vows. 
I can do no more. Help me to do no less. I 
have vowed to follow Christ as my Prophet, 
Priest and King. Help me to keep that sol- 
emn vow. I would take my full salvation and 
follow closely in his steps. He went about 
doing good ; help me to go about in the same 
way. He came into the world to seek and to 
save the lost; and he said, u As the Father 
hath sent me, so send I you"; wherefore I 
would make it my first business to seek and to 
save. I have friends who know thee not; 
help me to bring them to thee. Make me a 
minister of thy grace. Show me how to 
preach the evangel in my walk and conversa- 
tion. Bless all who profess thy Name and 
make them faithful. Deepen their convic- 



Behold, what Manner of Love! 79 

tions of truth and righteousness. Make them 
ever loyal to thee. Make them deaf to the 
clamor of unbelief and blind to the allure- 
ments of sin. Serve thyself with them and 
with me also as long as life endures. And 
when the time comes for promotion, see to it, 
dear Lord, that I am fully prepared to meet 
the larger tasks of the life beyond. This I 
ask in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and 
Redeemer. Amen. 

5. HYMN: u Jesus, lover of my soul." 

6. OFFERING 

7. THE SERMON 

"Behold, what Manner of Love!" 

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath 
bestowed upon us, that we should be called 
children of God; and such we are. For this 
cause the world knoweth us not, because it knew 
not him. Beloved, now are we children of God, 
and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. 
We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall 
be like him; for we shall see him even as he is. 
And every one that hath this hope set on him 
purifieth himself, even as he is pure." (1 John 
3: i-3.) 

The keynote here is struck in the word "Be- 
hold!" It is like an index-finger pointing to some- 
thing worth seeing. It is as if the writer cried, 
"Attention! I show you a wonderful thing!" 

What is the wonderful thing to which our minds 
are thus directed? Is it the love of God? Not at 



8o 



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all. To say that God is love is to say what every- 
body knows. It is written across the skies. The 
birds sing it, the brooks murmur it. The common- 
est gifts of Providence bear witness to it. Every 
pulsation of life manifests it. 

But the reference here is to a significant phase of 
the Divine love. "Behold, what manner of love!" 
And, reading on, we perceive that our attention is 
called to that gracious "manner" or manifestation 
of love by which we, undeserving sinners that we 
are, are restored to our original and normal place 
in the family of God. 

A picture of this "manner of love" was drawn 
in vivid colors by our Lord in the Parable of the 
Prodigal Son.* A young man is sitting at table 
in his father's house. He is pale, haggard, scarred 
with the signs of a misspent life. What right has 
he here ? He had been happy in his boyhood under 
the old roof-tree ; but the Wanderlust seized him. 
He said to his father, "Give me the portion of thy 
substance that falleth to me"; and thereupon he 
took his journey into a far country, where he 
wasted his substance in riotous living. Then came 
the famine, the famine that inevitably comes in 
every wayward life; and he began to be in want. 
Out in the swine-field, friendless and famishing, he 
came to himself and said, "I will arise and go to 
my father." And, strange to say, his father re- 
ceived him. Behold, what manner of love ! His 



*It may be remarked, in passing, that the best exposition of the 
Parable of the Prodigal Son is found in the passage before us. 



Behold, what Manner of Love ! 8 1 

father saw him when he was yet a great way off, 
and ran and fell upon his neck and kissed him. So 
here sits the profligate, clothed in the best robe 
and wearing the signet ring, with sounds of music 
and merry-making all about him. What right has 
he here ? That is the point. By all the standards 
of human judgment he should be reaping the har- 
vest of his vices; but the father welcomed him 
with open arms, saying, "It is meet to make merry 
and be glad." In this complete restoration of the 
prodigal to all filial privilege we have an illustra- 
tion and clear interpretation of the adopting love 
of God. 

The whole episode is so strange, so contrary to 
our usual canons of fair-dealing, that it may be well 
to inquire a little further into this "manner of love" 
and the singular features that characterize it. 

I. Let it be noted, at the outset, that it is an un- 
changing and imperishable love. 

There was never a moment when the father of 
the prodigal did not yearn with tender affection 
over his wayward son. He must have known of 
the wretched life in the far country; but that did 
not cool the ardor of his paternal affection. It is 
safe to say that, over and over again, he looked be- 
yond the hills and sighed, "Oh, that my boy would 
come home !" Most wonderful is such love; many 
waters can not quench it. 

So is God's love toward all sinners. No man can 
wander away so far as to loose the hold of the 
Father's heart. He may be a thief, a drunkard or 



82 The Home Sanctuary 



a murderer, still God loves him. A woman may 
defile the purity of her womanhood so that more 
respectable sinners look askance at her; but God 
still loves her. His love is the most persistent, in- 
destructible thing in the universe. You may keep 
on sinning, die impenitent, and go into the outer 
darkness; but even there God's love will follow 
you. I do not say that it will save you ; for in the 
Covenant of Salvation there is, in legal phraseol- 
ogy, a "party of the second part," without whose 
consent all overtures of mercy are ineffectual: but 
I do say that there never yet was a man created in 
God's likeness who sinned so far or so utterly ex- 
patriated himself that the Infinite Love does not 
ever and forever follow him. 

II. And then this singular "manner of love" is 
wholly gratuitous; that is, unmerited on the sin- 
ner's part. It is " without money and without 
price." 

The prodigal was quite right when he said to his 
father, "I am no more worthy to be called thy 
son." He had gone away of his own accord, had 
taken his patrimony with him and squandered it, 
had forfeited every natural or reasonable claim to 
his father's consideration; yet, on his return, he 
was welcomed to the old home and restored to all 
the privileges that he had voluntarily and recklessly 
given up. 

The same is true of every penitent sinner who 
comes home to God. He knows he is not worthy 



Behold, what Manner of Love! 83 

to gather up the crumbs that fall from the table; 
yet all the food and fruits of grace are richly spread 
before him by the Father. 

While all our hearts and all our songs 

Join to admire the feast, 
Each of us cries with thankful tongue, 

Lord, why was I a guest? 

A sense of ill-deserving is the very heart of peni- 
tence; and, as such, it is one of the vital evidences 
of faith. As in heaven all worthiness is ascribed "to 
Him that sitteth upon the throne," so here the 
true follower of Christ is frank to confess that, of 
himself, he deserves none of the blessings lavished 
upon him. 

Why was I made to hear thy voice 

And enter while there's room, 
While thousands make a wretched choice 

And rather starve than come ? 

The point so often urged by non-Christians, that 
"there are better people outside of the Church 
than in it," is well taken; since in the fellowship 
of Christ there is none self-righteous, — no, not one, 
— but all are confessedly sinners, sinners without 
merit, only sinners saved by grace. 

'Twas the same love that spread the feast 

That sweetly drew us in ; 
Else had we still refused to taste, 

And perished in our sin. 

III. But, notwithstanding this ill-deserving on 
our part, the adopting love of God is a just and 
equitable love. 



8 4 



The Home Sanctuary 



There is one figure in the drama of salvation 
which does not appear in the Parable of the Prodi- 
gal Son; that is, the figure of the only-begotten Son 
of God. It is his appearance that must furnish the 
missing link of justice in this transaction; for it is 
only through his interposition that the prodigal can 
rightly and properly be restored to the privileges of 
his Father's house. "God so loved the world that 
he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever be- 
lieveth on him should not perish, but have eternal 
life." This only-begotten Son goes out into the 
far country to make expiation for sin, and, having 
paid his ransom, he takes the sinner's hand and 
leads him home — providing, always, that the sin- 
ner is willing to go. At the doorway of the 
Father's house he pleads, "For my sake receive 
him." It is only so that God can be u just and yet 
the justifier of the ungodly." It is only so that the 
forefeited birthright can be restored to the way- 
ward son. And when all the parties in the trans- 
action are willing — to wit, the Father, the Saviour 
and the sinner — where in the universe is there one 
competent to criticise the justice of it? 

IV. Again, this singular love of the Father is 
an open and avowed love. "Now are we called 
the children of God." 

Who calls us so ? As for ourselves, we hesitate. 
As for the world, typified by the envious and angry 
brother of the prodigal looking in at the window 
upon the festivities at the father's house, it refuses 



Behold, what Manner of Love! 85 

so to characterize us. It is the Father who calls 
us children. Behold, what manner of love is here ! 
And the soul of the penitent responds, Yea and 
Amen; for "we have received the Spirit of Adop- 
tion whereby we cry, Abba, Father!" The Spirit 
itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the 
children of God. Here is the secret of assurance. 
There is no assurance but the assurance of faith — 
the faith that lays hold on Christ as "the first-born 
among many brethren," by whom we are brought 
back and restored to the birthright which we had 
forfeited through sin. Thus, as Wesley sings 

The Spirit answers to the blood, 
And tells me I am born of God. 

V. Furthermore, this is an immeasurable love. 

It begins here and reaches out into eternity. 
"Now are we children of God." Heaven begins at 
conversion. "He that believeth on the Son hath 
everlasting life." Had the elder brother been 
asked what treatment might properly be accorded 
to the prodigal, he would probably have said, "Let 
him be taken back on probation for awhile; let 
him toil in the fields and eat with the servants. 
Having wasted his patrimony, he should be treated 
accordingly; give him his just due." Not so, how- 
ever, does God deal with his penitent children 
when they return to him. "Now are we children 
of God" ; and "if children, then heirs, heirs of God 
and joint-heirs with Christ." The best robe is 
ours ; the signet ring is ours ; the record of our sins 



86 The Home Sanctuary 



is blotted out, so that they are remembered no more 
against us. All this here and now. 

But beyond — oh, there is something vast, un- 
veiled as yet and wonderful to dream of. "Now 
are we children of God; but it is not yet made 
manifest what we shall be." There are illimitable 
vistas of life and character and usefulness before 
us. So runs the hymn of the early Church : 

"Things which eye saw not and ear heard not, 
And which entered not into the heart of man, 
Whatsover things God prepared for them that love him." 

VI. It must be added, however, that this partic- 
ular phase of the Divine love is provisional. A 
condition is affixed to it; namely, that the sinner 
must accept it. 

Therein is a full statement of the great doctrine 
of Justification by Faith; for "saving faith" is sim- 
ply an acceptance of the grace of God. The prodi- 
gal might have remained in the far country all his 
life, despite his shame and remorse, had he not 
said, "I will arise and go." As he had of his own 
accord abandoned the old home and squandered his 
inheritance, so must he return of his own accord or 
he will never see his home again. 

The love of God is immeasurable ; but, were it so 
a thousand times, it could not save the sinner 
against his will. The hand that was pierced for 
our deliverance is extended in vain unless we grasp 
it. "I will arise and go!" is the Open Sesame of 
all the treasures in the Father's house. 

And when the sinner resolves to return, it is ob- 



Behold, what Manner of Love! 87 

vious that he must return by the way marked out 
for him. "I am the way," said Jesus: u no man 
cometh unto the Father but by me." Absolutely 
there is no other way. Again, "I am the door." 
Aye, the door is open; but, so far as the salvation 
of the sinner is concerned, it might as well have re- 
mained shut, unless, of his own volition, he passes 
through it. 

VII. One thing more about this wonderful love: 
It is self-evidencing; that is, it produces certain 
necessary and obvious results. "Every one that 
hath this hope set on Him purifieth himself, even 
as He is pure." 

Had the prodigal on his return appeared at the 
doorway of his father's house with a harlot by his 
side, one with whom he had consorted in the far 
country, do you suppose the hospitality of the home 
would have been extended him? Sin is the harlot 
of the world. He who comes home from the far 
country must abjure it. Not a word is said of the 
subsequent life of the prodigal; but it goes without 
saying that his former habits were given up. No 
more wasting of his substance in riotous living; no 
more habitual indulgence in sin. This is what is 
expected of those who enjoy and appreciate the 
high privileges involved in a true filial relation with 
God. Character is the visible test of a Christian 
profession. u By their fruits ye shall know them." 
We are saved by faith in Christ; but u faith with- 
out works is dead." In faith alone there is no life, 
no truth — no reality. 



88 



The Home Sanctuary 



We have been contemplating a singular manifes- 
tation of the love of God. Oh, the length and 
breadth and depth and height of that love ! To 
think that we who were alienated by sin, our birth- 
right squandered, and without the shadow of a 
claim on the consideration of our Father, should be 
called his sons ! Behold what manner of love he 
hath bestowed upon us! 

It is related that a native helper in India, when 
engaged in assisting the missionary in translating 
the Scriptures into his native tongue, paused at this 
passage and said brokenly, "I can not write it. O 
master, let me rather write, 'What manner of love 
the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should 
be permitted to kiss his feet!' " But the Father 
will not have it so. By faith in Christ we are re- 
stored to every privilege of sonship, — the ring, the 
best robe, and the inheritance, — and by the Spirit of 
Adoption we are taught to say, "Abba, Father I" 

Behold, what manner of love is this ! What shall 
we render unto the Lord for his loving-kindness? 
All that we can do is to take of the cup of his sal- 
vation and pay unto him our solemn vows. 

It passeth knowledge, that dear love of thine, 
My Jesus, Saviour ; yet this heart of mine 
Would sing a love so rich, so full, so free, 
Which brought an undone sinner such as me 
Right home to God. 

In the hour of temptation, in the stress of sorrow, 
in the face of strenuous duty, let us contemplate 
this love that passeth knowledge. Living and dy- 



Behold, what Manner of Love ! 89 

ing, let us behold it, until the day break and the 
shadows flee away, and we awake in the likeness of 
our Lord and Saviour; for we shall be like him 
then — when we see him as he is. 

8. PRAYER 

O God, give me a clear vision of thy won- 
derful love. Let it break down all the stub- 
born barriers of my unbelief and bring me 
sobbing with penitence to thy feet. I want 
all the rich blessings of adoption in the house- 
hold of faith. I want the ring and the robe 
and a place at thy table. I want to serve thee 
henceforth; not from a sense of duty, but for 
Jesus' sake, and because I love thee. Amen. 

9. HYMN: "Awake, my soul, to joyful lays!" 

10. BENEDICTION 

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you, 
through the knowledge of God and of Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen. 



SEVENTH SERVICE 



The Tabernacles of Tabor 

1. INVOCATION 

f \ thou, who dwellest in the high and 
^ holy place, bow thine ear unto my sup- 
plication. Search me, and know my heart; 
try me and know my thoughts, and see if there 
be any evil way in me. Purge me with hys- 
sop, that I may be clean; for Jesus' sake. 
Amen. 

2. HYMN: " Awake, my soul, stretch every 

nerve !" 

3. SCRIPTURE LESSON 

Isaiah 63 11-9. 
Luke 9 : 1 8-36. 

4. PRAYER 

O thou Eternal and Ever-blessed God, 
help me to praise thee and magnify thy Name 
and give thanks to thee for thy great good- 
ness. Thou hast watched over me in the de- 
fenseless hours of sleep, and dost graciously 
offer thy Hand to guide me through the duties 
of another day. Manifold are the gifts of 
thy Providence; but who shall measure thine 
unspeakable Gift? Blessed be thy Name for 
90 



The Tabernacles of Tabor 91 

the salvation that has been accomplished 
through the sacrifice of thy beloved Son. I 
thank thee that whosoever will may come unto 
thee through him. Father, I come. I come 
for salvation. I come for service. I come 
to pour out my soul in praise and prayer be- 
fore thee. Give me not only the pardon of 
sin, but sanctifying grace 1 for Jesus' sake. 
Teach me to be poor in spirit, mourning for 
sin, hungering and thirsting after righteous- 
ness. Make me patient in suffering and 
faithful in thy service. Let the mind that was 
in Christ Jesus be also in me. Give me some 
measure of his self-forgetfulness. Forbid 
that I should constantly brood on my own 
sorrows, unmindful of those whose pains are 
more intense, whose burdens are heavier, 
whose loneliness is more forlorn, than mine. 
I thank thee that, whatever I may lack, I am 
rich in Christ. He is made unto me wisdom 
and righteousness and sanctification. In him 
I am complete, and he is mine forever. Not- 
life nor death, things present nor things to 
come, shall separate me from thy love which 
is in Christ Jesus my Lord. For this, help me 
to sing Hallelujah. But forbid that this 
should content me. Help me to distribute 
among others the bread which thou hast 
broken for me. Lord, pity those who have 
no Christ; no Saviour from sin, no helper in 
trouble, no light on the eternal path. Oh, 



92 The Home Sanctuary 



would that I might to-day lead some sinner to 
thee. Help me to live so that my word and 
my example may have saving grace. Give 
me souls for my hire, stars in my heavenly 
crown. I would not go to heaven alone. I 
want to be able to say, "Here, Lord, am I 
and they whom thou hast given me." For I 
am thine, not only to be saved, but to be used 
in saving others. Serve thyself with me, Lord; 
and grant me not a salvation "so as by fire" 
but an abundant entrance into thine Eternal 
Kingdom, through Jesus Christ. Amen. 

5. HYMN: u How sweet the name of Jesus 

sounds !" 

6. OFFERING 

7. THE SERMON 

The Tabernacles of Tabor 

"And Peter said, 'Lord, it is good for us to be 
here : if thou wilt, I will make here three taber- 
nacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one 
for Elijah.' While he was yet speaking, behold, 
a bright cloud overshadowed them : and behold ! 
a voice out of the cloud, saying, 'This is my be- 
loved Son, in whom I am well pleased ; hear ye 
him.' " (Matt. 17: 4, 5.) 

What a Triumvirate! Jesus, the God-man; 
Moses, the Lawgiver (dead now fifteen hundred 
years) ; and Elijah, the Prophet of the Chariot of 
fire. 

And what a Conference ! Never was Council 



The Tabernacles of Tabor 93 



of State like this. For these heavenly visitants 
"spake with Jesus of the decease which he was to 
accomplish at Jerusalem." Nearby stood another 
triumvirate: John, the beloved; James, who was 
destined to be the proto-martyr ; and Peter, u the 
Stone-man." 

No wonder they were dazed and bewildered; 
for, as they looked, the Lord was transfigured be- 
fore them, so that his garments were white and 
glistening and his face did shine as the sun. Two 
of them were silent; but Peter, ever impulsive and 
outspoken, said, u Lord, it is good for us to be here ! 
If thou wilt, I will make here three tabernacles; 
one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for 
Elijah." 

All the world loves Peter, a diamond in the 
rough, bold, headstrong — "a plain, blunt man," 
wearing his heart upon his sleeve. He was a great 
blunderer, no doubt, much given to leaping before 
he looked and firing before he had taken aim. If 
ever there was a sound of slipping or stumbling in 
their ranks, the disciples said with one accord, 
"That's Peter!" It is recorded that in the present 
instance he spoke impulsively, "not knowing what 
he said." It does not follow, however, that his 
words were ill-advised. 

So far as his longing to abide in the Mount of 
Vision is concerned, that was most natural. Are 
there not hours in the trysting-place and the sanctu- 
ary which seem to us like foretastes of heaven, 
moving us to sing— 



94 The Home Sanctuary 



My willing soul would stay 

In such a frame as this, 
And sit and sing herself away 

To everlasting bliss? 

And though the call of duty makes this impossible, 
though the demoniac at the foot of the mountain 
cries out for healing, though the white fields de- 
mand the sickle, who shall blame us for loving the 
golden hour and desiring to prolong it ? 

And with respect to the suggestion of the three 
tabernacles, though it is recorded that Peter "wist 
not what he said," it is quite presumable that on 
reflection he might still have said it. 

He wanted one tabernacle for Moses. Why 
not ? Moses stood for the Law. 

And "the Law is good." Who finds fault with 
the Decalogue ? It has never been abrogated and 
never can be. It did not originate with Moses ; but 
was interwoven in the beginning with the very 
nerve and fiber of the human constitution. If there 
ever was a time when the sanctity of law needed 
to be emphasized, it is just now. In an age when 
loose thinking has brought forth a bountiful har- 
vest of loose living, it is immensely important that 
men should be reminded of the ethical imperative; 
to wit, that there is no escaping "Thou shalt!" and 
"Thou shalt not!" 

But the Law can not save. Why not? Because 
nobody keeps it. To the young ruler who came 
running to Jesus with the question, "What shall I 
do to inherit eternal life?" he answered, "Thou 



The Tabernacles of Tabor 95 

knowest the commandments," adding, "This, do 
and thou shalt live." Why then did the coun- 
tenance of the young ruler fall, and why did he cry, 
"What lack I yet?" Because, thinking that he had 
not transgressed, he was at his wit's end. The Law 
is good; but, in the nature of the case, it can offer 
no immunity to those who violate it. 

Of what advantage, then, is the Law? Much, 
every way. It is written, "By the Law is the 
knowledge of sin." A man goes to his looking- 
glass, not to wash his face, but to discover that there 
is occasion for washing it. No one who thought- 
fully ponders the Decalogue can fail to arrive at 
this conclusion, "I have left undone the things 
which I ought to have done and have done the 
things which I ought not." What then? "By the 
works of the Law shall no flesh be justified." The 
moralist who builds this tabernacle and dwells 
therein is making a fatal blunder. If there is any- 
where a fountain opened for uncleanness, it be- 
hooves him as a reasonable man to find it. 

A second tabernacle was proposed for Elijah. 
And again, why not? Elijah stood for Doctrine. 
He was one of the faculty of Prophets who were 
divinely ordained and equipped to instruct the peo- 
ple in the great verities of the spiritual life. 

And doctrine, like ethics, is good. To a thought- 
ful man the popular outcry against creeds is incom- 
prehensible. Credo means "I believe." A man 
who has no convictions of truth is simply an inverte- 
brate. The butcher, the baker, and the candlestick 



9 6 



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maker would be without friends or patronage did 
they not hold to certain commercial dogmas that 
commend them to the confidence of their fellow- 
men. Is it not obviously demanded of us, created 
in the divine image and moving on to a divine heri- 
tage, that we should rest our character in the great 
fundamentals that have their source and center in 
God? Alas for one who, amid the conflicting 
winds of controversy, can not plant his feet some- 
where on terra fir ma and say, "This I know." 

But there is no salvation in a creed. An intel- 
lectual acceptance of the fundamental truths of the 
Christian religion, however important it may be 
otherwise, has no power to absolve a sinful soul or 
commend it to God. 

If a man be starving, he will count himself most 
fortunate to come into possession of a bank note; 
but whether that bank note will relieve his hunger 
depends on three things : First, it must be backed 
by capital; secondly, it must be convertible into 
bread; and, thirdly, the bread must be eaten; other- 
wise the hungry man will die in spite of it. In like 
manner a creed must have Divine authority behind 
it, must be convertible into the terms of practical 
life, and must express itself in character and use- 
fulness. 

It is important that we should believe in the doc- 
tine of the Atonement; but an intellectual appre- 
hension of that doctrine will avail us nothing un- 
less we vitally appropriate Christ and follow him. 
This is the meaning of that profound saying of his> 



The Tabernacles of Tabor 97 

"Except ye eat the flesh and drink the blood of the 
Son of Man ye have no life in you." He must be 
taken, as the loaf is eaten, so that his very being 
shall be assimilated with ours. In other words, the 
only creed that can effect our salvation is not a creed 
on parchment, but one that goes about on two feet 
and makes its profession not only with two eloquent 
lips but with two beneficent hands. 

It was to an orthodox professor that the Apostle 
James wrote, u Thou believest that there is one 
God. Thou doest well ; the devils also believe and 
tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that 
faith without works is dead" ? If a mere subscrip- 
tion to doctrinal symbols could open the gate of 
Heaven, there would be no souls in outer darkness ; 
for in that region of hopelessness there is not one 
who does not perceive, through the irresistible logic 
of his environment, that there is one God who has 
made provision for universal salvation through the 
sacrifice of his only-begotten Son. But how can that 
avail for those who have rejected Christ and whose 
hearts are still at enmity with God? 

A third tabernacle proposed by Peter was for 
the worship of Christ. And again why not? The 
Church, as the seat of worship, rests on divine au- 
thority; being founded on the impregnable rock of 
the Saviourship of Christ so firmly that the gates of 
hell shall not prevail against it. 

And the Church is good. It affords a place for 
a Christian to show his colors and, better still, gives 
him a vantage-ground to work for God. 



98 The Home Sanctuary 



It is not claimed that the Church is perfect — 
claimed only that the Church is the great organism 
through which God is working, by the power of his 
Spirit and through the co-operation of his people, 
for the setting up of a kingdom of truth and right- 
eousness in this world of ours. 

It is easy to find fault; yet the fact remains that 
there is more strength for humanity and progress 
in the little finger of the Church than in the loins of 
those who oppose it. The very fact that its mem- 
bers are so freely criticised for not living up to 
their profession is proof positive that the fault-find- 
ers themselves have a high estimate of the Church. 
And the wiser course for those who are thus dis- 
posed to criticise would be to come into our fellow- 
ship and show us how to do it. 

But the Church can not save. The rites and 
ceremonies of worship give no title to eternal life. 
How was it in Israel? u To what purpose, saith 
the Lord, is the multitude of your sacrifices unto 
me? I am full of the burnt-offerings of rams and 
the fat of fed beasts. Bring no more vain obla- 
tions. Your incense is an abomination unto me. 
Your appointed feasts my soul hateth; I am 
weary to bear them. When ye spread forth your 
hands, I will hide mine eyes from you. Yea, 
when ye make many prayers, I will not hear. 
Your hands are full of blood! Wash you; make 
you clean; put away the evil of your doings from 
before mine eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do 
well." 



The Tabernacles of Tabor 99 



A man may cry, "Church! Church!" 

With no more piety than other people: 
A daw's not counted a religious bird 

Because it keeps a-cawing from a steeple. 

In other words, the most elaborate forms of wor- 
ship, like the most rigid subscriptions of orthodoxy, 
are of themselves impotent to save. 

If Church-members were consistent, that would 
answer the requirements of the case; but, unfortu- 
nately, there is no such thing as "consistency." 
Where is there a church-member who brings the 
bottom of his life up to the top of his life? 

So, while it is important to be a member of the 
Church, the one thing that is vitally necessary is to 
be a member of Christ; as he said, "except ye abide 
in me and my words abide in you, ye have no life 
within you." A name on an ecclesiastical roster is 
of no value except that it stands for a correspond- 
ing name in the Lamb's book of life. 

In all the teaching of Jesus there is nothing more 
significant than this: "Not every one that saith 
unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom 
of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father 
which is in heaven. Many will say unto me in that 
day, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name and 
in thy name cast out devils and in thy name done 
many wonderful works; and then will I profess 
unto them, I never knew you." 

Well, if Law can not save, and if doctrine can 
not save, and if Church-membership can not save, 
what can? Jesus only. The vision of the three 



ioo The Home Sanctuary 



tabernacles vanishes into thin air. "And when 
they lifted up their eyes the disciples saw none save 
Jesus only." So far as salvation is concerned, he is 
Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. 

We need three helpers on our way to heaven's 
gate; and Jesus wears the triple crown. 

First, He is our Priest. The Law stands as the 
ideal of righteousness in the mind of God; but 
when the Law is broken there is no alternative for 
the sinner but retribution, unless expiation shall be 
made in some way. And Christ, in his priestly of- 
fice, has made such expiation by bearing our sins in 
his own body on the bitter tree. So it is written, 
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them 
that are in Christ Jesus. For what the Law could 
not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God, 
sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh 
and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the 
ordinance of the Law might be fulfilled in us." 

Secondly, we need a Prophet to instruct us in 
truth. And Christ wears the prophetic crown. He 
said not only "I am come to bear witness of truth," 
but "I am the truth." Here is the touchstone for 
determining upon all creeds and upon all doctrinal 
symbols. Let them be accorded their full value as 
representing the earnest quests and controversies 
of the ages; yet must they all alike be estimated by 
their conformity to the teaching of Christ. So that, 
when we have learned our utmost at all other ora- 
cles, we must still count it our supreme privilege to 
sit as disciples at Jesus' feet and learn of him. His 



The Tabernacles of Tabor ioi 



school is our Court of Final Appeal. The last 
word is spoken in any argument when he has said 
u This is false" or u This is true." If he affirm the 
personality of God, his own deity and the validity 
of his Atonement, the trustworthiness of Scripture, 
the Resurrection and the life eternal, this for his 
disciples is an end of controversy. We can do no 
otherwise than believe what he tells us. 

Thirdly, we need a King, to protect, control, and 
conduct us in the pathway of life. And Christ is 
"King in Zion." His commands are ultimate for 
those who sincerely profess to believe in him. He 
is sole and supreme Lord of the Mind and Lord of 
the Conscience for those who love him : 

I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord, 
Over mountain, and plain, and sea; 

I'll do what you want me to do, dear Lord, 
I'll be what you want me to be. 

It has been said that Peter made no mistake when 
he proposed the three tabernacles; but, whether it 
was a mistake or not, we know that, as to the main 
issue, his heart was in the right place. He believed 
in Christ as his Prophet, Priest and King. 

It was he who, in answer to his Lord's question, 
"Who do ye say that I am?" made answer, u Thou 
art the Christ, the Son of the living God!" For 
this he was called the "Stone-man." On that good 
confession as on a mighty rock he built his faith so 
firmly that, after bravely living for it, he crowned 
his life by dying for it. 



io2 The Home Sanctuary 



We can make no mistake by following his exam- 
ple thus far. He who builds his life and character 
on Christ is safe forever. The rains may descend, 
the floods come, the winds blow and beat upon his 
house ; but it can not fall, because it is founded upon 
a rock. Wherefore, in our walk and conversation, 
in our worship and orthodoxy, in our influence in 
time and our hope for eternity, let us make Christ 
first, last, midst and all in all. 

8. PRAYER 

O God, give me an undivided heart; a 
heart so full of devotion to Christ that every 
thought and impulse shall bow down in sub- 
jection to him. Help me to follow in his steps 
until, going on from grace to grace and from 
glory to glory, I shall at length behold his 
face, be changed into his likeness, and abide 
with him forever. Amen. 

9. HYMN: "When I survey the Wondrous 

Cross." 

10. BENEDICTION 

Peace be unto you, and love with faith, 
from God the Father and the Lord Jesus 
Christ. Amen. 



EIGHTH SERVICE 

The Wells of the Desert 

INVOCATION 

OLord, thy mercies are new every morn- 
ing and fresh every evening; wherefore 
let the outgoings of the morning and of the 
evening praise thee. Fill my heart with grati- 
tude for countless loving-kindnesses, as I ap- 
proach thee ; and let my worship come up be- 
fore thee as sweet incense ; for the Redeemer's 
sake. Amen. 

HYMN: "To-day the Saviour calls." 

SCRIPTURE LESSON 

Isaiah 12. 
John 4:1-26. 

PRAYER 

O God, I address thee with fear and trem- 
bling, because thou reignest in light and glory 
unapproachable; but when I remember thy 
love as revealed in thy dearly beloved Son, I 
draw nigh with confidence and boldness. His 
Name is my all-prevailing plea. He ever 
liveth to make intercession as my Advocate 
at the Throne of Heavenly Grace. I thank 
103 



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thee for the atonement which he wrought for 
me. Blessed be thy Name for the Cross and 
the River of Comfort that flows from it. I 
thank thee for my assurance that on his ac- 
count my sins, which have been many, are all 
blotted out, so that there is no more condem- 
nation. My life is hid with Christ in thee. 
I thank thee also for the influence of the sancti- 
fying Spirit by which I am enabled to grow 
toward his likeness day by day. I thank thee 
for the Bible and the Sabbath and the fellow- 
ship of saints. Thou hast many people in the 
world, worshiping in many lands and many 
languages, and calling themselves by many de- 
nominational names. Bless them all, O Lord. 
Bless those who gather in temples where im- 
posing choirs and orchestras, the concord of 
many voices, make a joyful sound before thee. 
Bless those who assemble in the little Churches 
by the crossroads on the frontier, a feeble folk 
like the conies, but lifting up holy hands with 
their hearts unto thee in the heavens. Bless 
the lone sufferers who in thousands of sick- 
rooms, racked with pain and overborne with 
weariness, look to thee for help and comfort 
and the peace that passeth all understanding. 
And, O Lord, in great mercy remember those 
who live in the light of the Gospel, and are 
yet without hope because they have not ac- 
cepted thine overtures of grace. Incline their 
ears to hear, and draw them that they may 



The Wells of the Desert 105 



run after thee. Say to them, "Come, now, 
let us reason together; though your sins be as 
scarlet they shall be as white as snow, and 
though they be red like crimson they shall be 
as wool." Be with me in this hour of wor- 
ship and help me to carry its lessons into my 
life. If thou hast any errand for me, help me 
to do it joyously. Where thou biddest me to 
go, I will go, dear Lord; over mountain and 
plain and sea ; I'll do what you want me to do, 
dear Lord; I'll be what you want me to be. 
Try me to-day in the field of duty. Use me as 
long as I live ; wear me out in thy service, every 
atom of energy that I have ; wear me all out 
in serving thee; then graciously say "Well 
done!" and give me larger tasks to do. And 
the praise of my salvation shall be thine for- 
ever, in Christ Jesus. Amen. 

5. HYMN: "Did Christ o'er sinners weep?" 

6. OFFERING 

7. THE SERMON 

The Wells of the Desert 

"Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out 
of the wells of salvation." (Isaiah 12: 3.) 

The mischievous critics have played havoc with 
this twelfth chapter of Isaiah. To begin with, 
they say it is wholly out of place. It is indeed like a 
Lobgesang in the midst of a miserere. The 
Prophet has been recording a series of doleful vi- 



io6 The Home Sanctuary 



sions. He has mourned over the nation as a pa- 
tient afflicted unto death: "From the sole of the 
foot even unto the head there is no soundness, but 
wounds, and bruises, and fresh stripes." He has 
seen the altars of Baal smoking on the hilltops and 
the people kissing their hands to the golden horses 
of the sun; while the hypocritical priests of Je- 
hovah were offering vain oblations in the Temple 
with unclean hands, and incense which gave "a 
stinking savor in the nostrils of God." He has 
pointed with alarm at the armies of Assyria, whose 
banners were waving in the distance like the wings 
of a foul bird hastening to the prey. On every 
hand there was nothing in sight but trouble and 
darkness, dimness and anguish. Then suddenly 
this song: "Cry aloud and shout, thou inhabitant 
of Zion; for great in the midst of thee is the Holy 
One of Israel!" It is as if a procession on its way 
to the graveyard were all at once to cease weeping 
and break into Hallelujahs. 

And this is one reason why these mischievous 
critics insist that Isaiah did not write it. The hand 
of a hypothetical "redactor," they say, has inter- 
jected the song at this inappropriate place. But 
why could not Isaiah have written it? "Because 
the internal evidence is against it." What do they 
mean by that? "It does not sound like him: its 
style is so different." But if that proves anything 
it proves too much; it is like saying that a singer 
can not sing in two keys. Nevertheless, for this 
reason they have invented a writer called "Deutero- 



The Wells of the Desert 107 



Isaiah," whom they hold responsible for every- 
thing in Isaiah that "does not sound like him." 

It might be affirmed on similar grounds that the 
author of the majestic measures of "Paradise Lost" 
could not have written L' Allegro : 

Haste thee, nymph, and bring with thee 
Jest and youthful Jollity, 
Sport that wrinkled care derides, 
And laughter holding both his sides ! 

For to a certainty this does not sound like John 
Milton; wherefore, let us have a Deutero-Milton 
to account for it. 

And it might just as reasonably be insisted that 
the author of the somber "Macbeth" could not 
have written Ann Hathaway : 

She hath a way to chase despair, 
To heal all griefs, to cure all care, 
Turn foulest night to fairest day; 
Thou knowest, fond heart, she hath a way; 
Ann hath a way. 

The "internal evidence" here is so conclusive 
against Shakespeare that a< Deutero-Shakespeare 
must be called in to explain it. 

By a corresponding line of argument we are 
bound to conclude that the Professor of the Higher 
Mathematics who is commonly supposed to have 
written "Alice in Wonderland" could never have 
done it. There must be a Deutero-Lewis Carroll. 
The same sort of logic makes it impossible that the 
author of "The Innocents Abroad" should have 



io8 The Home Sanctuary 



produced such a serious biography as "J oan of 
Arc" : wherefore, give us a Deutero-Mark Twain 
to account for it. 

But suppose for a moment that Isaiah did not 
write it ; what difference does it make ? The song 
is there, and in it is the breath of inspiration. Oh, 
these paltering critics! These hair-splitters and 
wire-drawers, who strain at a gnat of difficulty and 
swallow a camel of unbelief! These catch-penny 
"experts," who bring all their optical instruments 
to bear upon the analysis of a fly speck in the mar- 
gin of the Book while overlooking the wonderful 
outlines of the great verities within it ! The moun- 
tain verily "travails and brings forth a mouse." 
What are sacred authors, anyway, but mediums 
through whom God breathes his truth toward men ? 
The evidence is all in favor of the authorship of 
Isaiah; but whether he wrote this outburst of mel- 
ody or not, the song is there and the song is ours. 
Bring your harps and cymbals; and let us sing, "I 
will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah 
is my strength; he also is become my salvation!" 

In any case one thing is certain. This song was 
w r ritten by a pilgrim going through a dry and 
thirsty land to a better country, famishing for water 
and longing for the fountains and wells. And, so 
far forth, we are at one with the singer; for we are 
all pilgrims and sojourners, like Israel in the Des- 
ert. The suns are blazing above and the sands 
scorching beneath; but, blessed be God, there are 
elims all along the way ! The palm-groves in the 



The Wells of the Desert 109 



distance wave and beckon as if to say, "Come, rest 
in our shadow, and drink of the wells I" 

These wells of salvation are seven, like those of 
Beersheba ; and all alike yield the water of life. 

The first is the well of Faith. 

At the very outset of the jqurney we come upon 
it; for faith marks the beginning of Christian ex- 
perience. He that believeth shall enter into life. 

I knew a lad, about fifty years ago, who could 
not sleep for thirst. He had listened to the Gos- 
pel in the village church and heard it at his 
mother's knee ; but, as for seeing and believing, he 
could not. Christ was no personal Saviour for 
him. But one bright day the veil was lifted and 
he saw. Oh, happy day! It was up in a hay-loft; 
and the vision came when he was kneeling on the 
hay. He saw and believed. For half a century 
he has known the sweet waters ; and : 

My soul shall at that fountain drink 
When all the springs are dry. 

The second of the wells is Prayer. 

To your knees, O friend, when "oppressed by 
noon-day's scorching heat!" Kneel down and 
drink! To philosophize about the rationale of 
prayer is not drinking. Satisfy the longing of your 
soul. Drink deep ! Let the peace of God that pass- 
eth all understanding come into your soul; then 
sing — 



no 



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Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer ; 

May I thy consolation share, 

Till from Mount Pisgah's lofty height 

I view my home and take my flight! 

This robe of flesh I'll drop, and rise 

To seize the everlasting prize, 

And shout, while passing through the air, 

Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer! 

For faith shall ultimately be lost in sight, and hope 
in open vision, and prayer in everlasting praise. 

The third of the wells on our journey is the 
Bible. 

A deep well this, springing from the very heart 
of the Rock of Ages; for the Bible is more than 
"a book among books," having been "written by 
holy men as they were moved by the Spirit of 
God." Its waters are not like those of other books, 
cisterns hewn out by art and man's device, often- 
times brackish and unwholesome. There is no sur- 
face-drainage of human wisdom here. To the 
weary and heavy laden there can be no sweeter 
draught than a promise from the Word of God. 

A lady and her daughter, who had been paying 
kindly visits to an old woman in a humble cottage, 
found her always with a Bible on her knees. One 
day the daughter said, "Ask her, mother, if she 
never gets tired of it." The cottager overheard 
and answered, "No, dearie, never! It grows 
fresher every day." 

You need this water, my friend. You have spent 
enough of your time in the vain effort to analyze 



The Wells of the Desert hi 



it. If you are thirsty, just drink; and see for your- 
self how it satisfies the soul. Drink and sing — 
Word of the everlasting God ! 

Will of his glorious Son! 
Without thee, how could earth be trod, 
Or Heaven itself be won? 

The fourth of the wells is Fellowship. 

We do not kneel alone at this well. There are 
many thirsty ones who bend beside us; and "as 
iron sharpeneth iron so a man sharpeneth the face 
of his friend." Blessed be God who hath made us 
sit together in heavenly places ! Don't look at your 
neighbor, now, to find fault with him. Doubtless 
he is not the sort of Christian he ought to be; but 
no more are you. Of all who crowd about this well 
not one is a perfect saint as yet : all are but sinners 
saved by grace. Move up a little closer, then ; and 
drink and sing — 

Blest be the tie that binds 
Our hearts in Christian love: 

The fellowship of kindred minds 
Is like to that above ! 

The fifth of the wells is Service. 

This is close by the edge of a harvest-field; and 
those v/ho approach it come with sleeves rolled up 
and sickles in hand, wiping the perspiration from 
their brows. But, oh, how great to be in such ser- 
vice! It is blessed to get weary for a Lord like 
ours. It is a foretaste of heaven to feel, at the 
close of a busy day, that we have not merely said 
our prayers and repeated our creeds, but have done 



ii2 The Home Sanctuary 



faithful reaping for him. How grateful, then, the 
waters of this well! We return to our tasks re- 
freshed and strengthened, singing — 

One more day's work for Jesus! 
Oh, yes, a weary day ; 
But heaven shines clearer, 
And rest comes nearer 
At each step of the way. 
And Christ in all — 
Before his face I fall. 

Oh, blessed work for Jesus! 
Oh, rest at Jesus' feet! 
There toil seems pleasure, 
My wants are treasure, 
And pain for him is sweet. 
Lord, if I may, 
I'll serve another day. 

And sixth, the well of Consolation. 

You will find it in Baca, the Valley of Tears. 
Here is where Hagar found it when wandering in 
the Wilderness with her little son. The water- 
skin was empty and the child was famishing. u And 
she went and sat her down over against him a good 
w r ay off, as it were a bowshot, saying, Let me not 
look upon the death of the child." And the angel 
of God called unto Hagar and said unto her, 
"What aileth thee, Hagar? Fear not !" And her 
eyes were opened and "she saw a well of w T ater and 
gave the lad to drink." Are you, too, wandering in 
the Valley of Tears? Listen and you shall hear 
God speak. Listen again and you shall hear the 
murmur of water. Brood no more over your sor- 



The Wells of the Desert 113 



rows. Stoop down and drink and go your way, 
singing — 

Joy of the desolate, light of the straying, 
Hope of the penitent, fadeless and pure! 

Here speaks the Comforter, tenderly saying, 
Earth has no sorrows that heaven can not cure. 

The seventh of the wells is Hope. 

Its waters are clearest of all; so clear that if you 
look down into them you shall see heaven reflected 
there; a vision of "the city which hath the founda- 
tions, whose builder and maker is God." If this life 
were all, then should we be, indeed, of all men 
most miserable; but ours is "the hope that maketh 
not ashamed." There is something beyond! Eye 
hath not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered 
into the heart of man the things which God hath 
prepared for them that love him. Drink of this 
well when the sordid world has gripped you hard; 
and, still drinking, keep your eyes on the vision; 
while you sing — 

O mother dear, Jerusalem, 

When shall I come to thee? 
When shall my sorrows have an end ? 

Thy joys when shall I see? 

Thy walls are made of precious stones, 
Thy bulwarks diamonds square; 

Thy gates are of right Orient pearl; 
O God, if I were there! 

These are the seven Wells of the Desert. 

But there is yet another — deeper, clearer and 
more refreshing than all. It is the well for which 
David longed, when hunted like a bird among the 



ii4 The Home Sanctuary 



mountains: "Oh, that one would give me water to 
drink of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the 
gate!" There is no other like the well of Bethle- 
hem. Christ himself is our Fountain of Life. 

The singular thing about this well is that, like 
the water that gushed forth at Meribah, where 
Moses smote the rock, it follows the pilgrim all 
along the way. "For they drank," says Paul, "of 
a spiritual Rock that followed them : and the rock 
was Christ." There are no long stretches of thirst 
between the wells of the desert for those who keep 
in vital touch with him. 

It was "the last day, the great day of the feast" 
in Jerusalem. The concluding ceremony, known 
as "the Effusion of Waters," had just been enacted: 
the high priest coming up from the Pool of Siloam 
with a pitcher on his shoulder had emptied it upon 
the pavement of Solomon's Porch, to signify the 
pouring out of the souls of the people before their 
God. Then the benediction, and all would be over ; 
the people were about to disperse to their homes. 
At this juncture the voice of Jesus was heard, cry- 
ing: "If any man thirst, let him come unto me and 
drink. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture 
hath said, from within shall flow rivers of living 
water!" Aye, water of life! The life that no 
water can give but that which gushes from the 
smitten Rock of Ages ! 

Have you heard his voice ? Have you refreshed 
your soul with the strengthening and healing 
waters of the King's well? 



The Wells of the Desert 115 

The weary Christ who paused at Jacob's well in 
Sychar asked a drink of the woman who came to 
draw. When she hesitated he said, "If thou knew- 
est the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee 
'Give me to drink,' thou wouldst have asked of him 
and he would have given thee living water." Oh, 
if thou knewest! For whosoever drinketh of this 
water shall never thirst ; but it shall be in him a well 
of water springing up unto everlasting life. 

The world is full of invitations to the King's 
well. "The Spirit and the bride say Come, and he 
that heareth, let him say Come, and he that is 
athirst let him come : and he that will let him take 
the water of life freely." 

The water is free; but one may stand by the 
King's well and perish of spiritual thirst, if he will 
not drink. Wherefore drink, my friend, and 
quench the longing of your soul. The invitation 
has come to you again and again. Here is a verse 
you surely can sing : 

I heard the voice of Jesus say, 

Behold, I freely give 
The living water, thirsty one; 

Stoop down, and drink, and live. 

But can you go on singing? There is life in the 
next verse for you : 

I came to Jesus; and I drank 
Of that life-giving stream; 
My thirst was quenched, 
My soul revived, 
And now I live in him! 



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8. PRAYER 

Lord, refresh me with thy grace. The 
journey is long and the sun hot and the bur- 
den heavy. Oh, for a drink of water from 
the well beside the gate of Bethlehem! Tell 
me again that all things are working for my 
good. Walk thou with me, so that heart and 
flesh fail not. I can do all things when thou 
strengthenest me. Be thou my strength and 
my exceeding great rew T ard; for thy Name's 
sake. Amen. 

9. HYMN: "I heard the voice of Jesus say." 

10. BENEDICTION 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with 
your spirit. Amen. 



NINTH SERVICE 

Tempted and Tried 

1. INVOCATION 

,/lmighty God, Source of all good and 
Fountain of blessing, look upon me 
with favor in this hour. I confess my per- 
sonal unworthiness, but plead the righteous- 
ness of Christ. For his sake graciously re- 
ceive me into thy presence and accept my 
worship. Amen. 

2. HYMN: "Take my heart, O Father, take it!" 

3. SCRIPTURE LESSON 

Genesis 3 :i-6. 
James 1. 

4. PRAYER 

Have mercy upon me, O God, according 
unto thy loving-kindness, and according unto 
thy tender mercies blot out my transgression. 
Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean; 
wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. I 
believe in the purifying virtue of the Foun- 
tain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuers 
veins. I am trusting only in him whose blood 
117 



1 1 8 The Home Sanctuary 

cleanseth from sin. Blessed be thy Name for 
the assurance of faith. There is no more 
condemnation to them that are in Christ 
Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after 
the Spirit. Baptize me with the influence of 
thy sanctifying Spirit, that I may continually 
grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ. 
Make me submissive under chastisement, 
faithful in service, and acquiescent in thy holy 
will. Give me a broad heart of sympathy, 
and eagerness to help all who need me. Make 
me charitable toward sinners, but intolerant 
toward sin. Keep me loyal to the truth as 
thou hast given me to see it. Strengthen thy 
Church for the propagation of the Gospel. 
Stretch her curtains and enlarge her borders. 
Put down wickedness in high and low places. 
Make a speedy end of war, and hasten the 
time when men and nations shall rest in the 
truce of God. To this end put the spirit of 
peace with righteousness into the hearts of all 
rulers and potentates. Speed thy coming, O 
Prince of Peace, to rule in equity from the 
river unto the ends of the earth. For thou 
art worthy to receive glory, and honor, and 
dominion and power forever and ever. Amen. 

5. HYMN : "Lord, I hear of showers of bless- 
ing." 



6. OFFERING 



Tempted and Tried 119 



7. THE SERMON 

Tempted and Tried 

"Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall 
into manifold temptations; knowing that the 
proving of your faith worketh patience. But let 
patience have its perfect work, that ye may be 
perfect and entire, lacking in nothing." (James 
1:2-4.) 

In one of Paul's letters to the Christians at 
Corinth he says, "There has no temptation taken 
you but such as is common to man." The same 
might be written to the people of any modern com- 
munity. Were there wineshops along the streets 
of Corinth? So there are, in horrid multiplicity, 
along the streets of New York. Were there 
painted women leering at the open windows ? So 
there are among us. Were there idol-meats for 
sale in the shambles ? So there are now. Tempta- 
tion is "common to man." Adam was tempted in 
Paradise; Abraham at Beersheba; Lot in Sodom; 
Moses in Midian; Daniel in Babylon; and Christ 
in the Wilderness. There is no escaping it. 

And temptation is as necessary as it is common 
to man. It is built into the constitution of the 
race. In the case of Adam it was necessary for the 
cultivation of character. He was created innocent ; 
but innocency is not character. A graven image is 
free from sin. If Adam was to be a man he must 
be positively one thing or the other; either good 
or bad. To that end he must be tested; wherefore 
he was told not to eat of the fruit of the forbidden 



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tree. A tree would answer as well as anything 
else; the point being that he must be put through 
some sort of ordeal to determine whether or not 
he would obey the behest of God. Unfortunately 
both for him and for us he fell; and in falling he 
put himself and his children after him in the way 
of contracting the habit of sin. 

In the case of Christ — who is called "the second 
Adam," because he also stood as the representative 
man — temptation was necessary for a different rea- 
son. He had come into the world to be the knight- 
errant of our fallen race, that he might deliver us 
from the penalty and the power of sin. To this 
end he must enter into full fellowship with hu- 
manity, in order that he might become a high- 
priest, able to be "touched with the feeling of our 
infirmities." He was, therefore, "in all points 
tempted like as we are." But, unlike the first 
Adam, he stood the test. He was "in all points 
tempted like as we are, yet without sin." 

In your case and mine temptation is necessary 
for the development of the graces that constitute 
character; wherefore, it is written, "We also re- 
joice in our tribulation; knowing that tribulation 
worketh steadfastness; and steadfastness, approved- 
ness; and approvedness, hope; and hope putteth 
not to shame." A ship swinging at anchor in the 
bay is of little or no use. Out yonder on the open 
seas there is danger; there are fogs and gales and 
hidden reefs; but what matters it? The ship must 
hoist anchor and venture forth, or she will take no 



Tempted and Tried 121 



part in the commerce of the world. So must a 
man meet the grapple of adverse forces if he would 
make his life tell. u The North wind makes 
Vikings." A man of spirit will not shrink from 
taking heaven with the wind in his face. 

It is a great thing, in point of fact, to be capable 
of trial. "How much better is a man than a 
sheep?" We are made in the likeness of God. 
And, though we have fallen from our high estate, 
there are possibilities of goodness and greatness in 
us, which must somehow be brought out. And 
God our Father is profoundly interested in do- 
ing it: 

This brings us directly to the matter in hand. 
We want to know precisely what God's relation is 
to the temptations that beset us. And the Scrip- 
tures are very clear on this point. 

First. We are advised that God does not tempt 
any man. It is written, "Let no man say when he 
is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God can not 
be tempted with evil, and he himself tempteth no 
man." 

Secondly. It is equally clear from the teaching 
of Scripture that God leads us into temptation. 
The Evangelists agree in saying that Jesus was 
"led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be 
tempted of the devil." One of them puts it in even 
more emphatic form, saying, "The Spirit driveth 
him forth." And, for reasons already indicated, 
we are treated in the same way. 

It must be understood that there is no sin in 
being tempted. A man may be compassed about 



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by devils with no fault of his own. If Samson had 
been called down to Timnath on business it would 
have been no sin to pass Delilah on the street; but 
it was a different matter when he went to Timnath 
for the express purpose of meeting her, called at 
her house and laid his head in her lap. Luther 
says, "We can not prevent the birds from flying 
over our heads; but we can prevent them from 
building their nests in our hair." So God does not 
lead us into sin when he leads us into temptation. 

It is related that when the Black Prince had ar- 
rived at years of discretion his father, Edward III, 
deeming it necessary to wean him from the ef- 
feminate pleasures of the court, placed him in com- 
mand of a troop at the battle of Crecy. In the 
heat of conflict a messenger came riding in great 
haste to say that the prince was surrounded by the 
enemy. The king asked, u Is he wounded?" The 
answer was, "Nay ; but in mighty peril.'' Then the 
king said, "Tell him that he hath this day an 
opportunity to win his spurs ; and bid him not call 
upon me until he is in mortal extremity." For a 
like reason we are divinely led into temptation, 
that we may win our spurs ; but our Father is ever 
near at hand and ready to help us. 

Thirdly. God could lead us around temptation, 
were he so disposed, and could wholly avert it. 
This is taught in the words of Jesus, "And when 
ye pray say, 'Our Father who art in heaven, lead 
us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.' " 

The question at once arises, If God leads us into 



Tempted and Tried 123 



temptation, how can we pray, "Lead us not into 
it" ? But, inasmuch as we are not acquainted with 
the Divine plan concerning us, why should we not 
pray to be saved from the peril of temptation so 
far as this may be consistent with our good and the 
glory of God? Is it not a most natural thing to 
ask? Do we not pray in like manner to be de- 
livered from pain and sickness and adversity? All 
such prayers, be it remembered, are offered in the 
filial spirit and only by such as can say "Our 
Father." By that token they are always acqui- 
escent in the Divine will. 

If we go to Gethsemane we shall find the only- 
begotten Son making just such a prayer. When 
the purple cup of death was pressed to his lips 
every nerve and sinew quivered and shrank from 
it. "O my Father," he cried, "if it be possible, let 
this cup pass from me." And sweating as it were 
great drops of blood he cried again, "O my Father, 
if it be possible, let this cup pass from me." That 
cup was filled with the death that was due to us. 
He as our substitute must drink it or else we our- 
selves must drink it. Wherefore, he cried again, 
"O my Father, if it be not possible, thy will be 
done !" In a like filial spirit we pray, "Lead us not 
into temptation." But observe, the prayer does 
not end that way: let us have the whole of it: 
"Lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from 
evil." It is precisely as if we said, "O Father, if 
it be possible, save us from the bitter hour of trial; 
but in any case save us from sin !" 



124 The Home Sanctuary 



It is recorded that Jesus said to Peter, in antici- 
pation of his approaching hour of temptation in 
the judgment hall, " Watch and pray, that ye enter 
not into temptation." (Matt. 26:41.) And 
again, with the same trial in view, he said to 
Peter, "Satan hath desired to have you that he may 
sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee that 
thy faith fail not." It thus appears that, while 
Peter was advised to pray that he might not enter 
into temptation, the prayer of the far-seeing Christ 
was that in the hour of temptation the faith of 
Peter might not fail. The result makes it appear 
that Peter was tried and did temporarily fall, in 
denying his Lord; but also that he learned his les- 
son and was thereby enabled to "strengthen the 
brethren," and that his faith failed not. 

Fourthly. We are advised that in the hour of 
temptation we may be divinely sustained if we will 
have it so. Thus it is written, "God is faithful, 
who will not suffer you to be tempted above that 
ye are able, but will with the temptation make the 
way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it." 
(1 Cor. 10:13.) 

The stress of temptation is never beyond our 
strength. "God tempers the wind to the shorn 
lamb." His promise is, "As thy day so shall thy 
strength be." I have no sympathy with a drunk- 
ard, who says, "I can't help it." He can ; he simply 
doesn't want to. No doubt a man can by habitual 
indulgence so vitiate and enfeeble his will that it is 
a frightfully hard thing to resist the intoxicating 



Tempted and Tried 125 



cup; but there is no one but himself to blame for 
that. And, even in this case, there is a definite hope 
in Divine help if he chooses to accept it. The 
gates of hell can not prevail against a man who is 
buttressed by the power of God. 

In all the universe there is no force that can 
compel a man to sin. The most that Satan could 
say to Christ in the Wilderness was, "Cast thyself 
down." He could not cast him down, nor could 
he oblige Christ to do it. Every sin is, in the na- 
ture of the case, voluntary — never involuntary. 
No man is responsible for what he can not avoid; 
but no full-grown man ought to be willing to plead 
the baby act. "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in 
our stars, but in ourselves if we are underlings." 
We have infinite resources at our command in the 
promise of Divine help; wherefore u Be strong! 
Quit you like men!" 

The old story of the Babylonish youths in the 
furnace is full of suggestion. (Dan. 3.) For 
refusing to bow down before the golden image 
they were summoned before the king, who gave 
them the choice of idolatry or death. Their an- 
swer was, "We have no need to answer thee in this 
matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is 
able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; 
and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O king. 
But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we 
will not serve thy gods nor worship the golden 
image which thou hast set up !" That was enough ; 
they were bound and cast into the furnace. The 



126 The Home Sanctuary 



king looked in and was astonished. He said to his 
counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into 
the midst of the fire?" They answered, "True, 
O king!" He said, "Lo, I see four men loose, 
walking in the midst of the fire and they have no 
hurt ! and the aspect of the fourth is like a son 
of the gods." Here is our defense in Temptation : 
the fourth Man in the fire. God is faithful, and 
he has said, "I will deliver thee in six troubles ; yea. 
in seven there shall no evil touch thee." 

Fifthly. We triumph over temptation when we 
thus allow God to help us. "Blessed is the man 
that endureth temptation; for when he hath been 
approved he shall receive the crown of life which 
the Lord hath promised to them that love him." 
(James i : 12.) 

Of all the joys that are possible to mortal man 
there is none to be compared with that which we 
experience in triumphing over a besetting sin. So 
did the young stripling rejoice when he brought the 
gory head of Goliath up to the king's tent, saying, 
"I have overcome in the name of the God of 
Israel!" 

It is recorded that, when the temptation of Jesus 
in the Wilderness was over, "angels came and 
ministered unto him." In the struggle of life we 
are "compassed about with a great cloud of wit- 
nesses." All heaven is interested in seeing us get 
the better of our sins. 

And every such victory adds to our strength of 
character. The Moslems say that the man who 



Tempted and Tried 127 



slays his enemy in battle absorbs the strength of 
his vanquished foe. There is a truth here for every 
earnest soul in the grapple with sin. Great are 
the promises to him who triumphs. u To him that 
overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, 
which is in the Paradise of God." — u He that over- 
cometh shall not be hurt of the second death. " — 
"To him that overcometh will I give the morning 
star." — "He that overcometh shall be arrayed in 
white garments; and I will confess his name before 
my Father and before his angels." — "He that over- 
cometh, I will make him a pillar in the temple of 
my God." — "He that overcometh I will give to 
him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also 
overcame and sat down with my Father in his 
throne." — "To him that overcometh, to him will 
I give of the hidden manna ; and I will give him 
a, white stone, and upon the stone a new name 
written which no one knoweth but he that receiveth 
it." Oh, blessed overcoming! Oh, glorious crown 
of life! 

It may be that some one now reading these 
words is facing a fierce temptation. How shall he 
meet it? By self-dependence? Shall the oft- 
taught lesson of experience go for naught? "Is 
any tempted, let him pray." There is "a way of 
escape"; but it is not the path of self-reliance. 
Resolutions fail w T hen there is no strong staff to 
lean on. Prayer is the secret passage to the light. 
Try prayer, my friend — and see Christ coming to 
your aid! Lean hard on him. He has been 



128 The Home Sanctuary 



through temptation and "can be touched with a 
feeling of our infirmities.' ' His arm is an almighty 
arm. He never failed a man yet. He not 
only pardons, but saves from the power of sin. 
He enables us to say, "I know whom I have be- 
lieved and am persuaded that he is able to keep 
that which I have committed unto him against that 
day." 

The shining seats of heaven are full of sinners 
who have passed through the hard grapple with 
temptation, and are u more than conquerors" by the 
grace of God. Listen to this : "I saw, and behold, 
a great multitude, which no man could number, 
. . . standing before the throne and before the 
Lamb, arrayed in white robes, and palms in their 
hands; and they cry with a great voice, saying, 
Salvation unto our God! . . . And one of the 
elders answered, saying unto me, These that are 
arrayed in the white robes, who are they, and 
whence came they? And I say unto him, My 
lord, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are 
they that come out of the great tribulation" — out 
of the harrowing of trial — "and they washed their 
robes and made them white in the blood of the 
Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of 
God." 

Oh, for the white robes and the palm of 
victory! Blessed is the man that endureth temp- 
tation! The possibilities of character and life 
and the unfading crown are in it. God help 
us to endure and to come off victorious, that 



Tempted and Tried 129 



we, too, mav wave palm branches before the throne 
of God! 

8. PRAYER 

I need thee every hour, most gracious 
Lord. In the stress of temptation grant thine 
immediate help, so that I yield not. Help me 
to see sin as thou seest it. Help me to hate 
and abhor and flee from it. Show me the 
beauty of holiness, so that I shall be enam- 
oured of it. Make me more like Jesus in faith 
and power and steadfastness. And thou shalt 
have everlasting praise. Amen. 

9. HYMN: "Am I a soldier of the Cross ?" 

10. BENEDICTION 

Grace, mercy and peace be with thee. 
Amen. 



TENTH SERVICE 



A Triple Tragedy 

1. INVOCATION 

TT oly, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, 
~LJL which was and is and is to come! 
Thou art of purer eyes than to behold in- 
iquity ; wherefore purge me from my sins, for 
Jesus' sake, that I may worthily draw near. 
Be pleased to fill this hour with blessing, and 
thy Name shall have the praise. Amen. 

2. HYMN: "Jesus calls us o'er the tumult." 

3. SCRIPTURE LESSON 

Isaiah 53 :i-io. 
Galatians 6. 

4. PRAYER 

Blessed be thou, O God, who hast blessed 
me with all spiritual blessings in heavenly 
places in Christ. Help me to pour out my 
soul penitently and gratefully before thee. 
Notwithstanding my sins and shortcomings, 
thou hast continued thy loving-kindness and 
pardoning Grace. I have no burden that I 
can not bear when thou art with me. Thou 
art a very present help in time of trouble, a 
130 



A Triple Tragedy 131 



refuge from the storm and a shadow from the 
heat. Thy chastening may be grievous; but, 
inasmuch as it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of 
righteousness, I would be thankful for it. Be 
pleased to confirm my faith, that I may go on 
from strength to strength, until I appear in 
Zion before thee. Quicken those who are 
dead in trespasses and sins; reclaim the wan- 
dering and increase the zeal of those who 
faithfully serve thee. Give power to thy 
Word, wherever it may be taught or preached 
this day, that sinners may be saved and saints 
built up in thy most holy faith. Use thy 
Church as a great labor-guild for the reaping 
and ingathering of the harvest of souls. Send 
more and more laborers into the harvest; and 
make thou me one. Thou knowest I believe 
and love thee. Help me to show my faith by 
works and my love by a consuming zeal. 
Lord, may sinners find no stumbling-block in 
my unworthy life; help me rather to persuade 
them, by earnest word and holy living, to 
come unto thee. I want to invest all my pow- 
ers for thee, so that when my day's work is 
over I may hear thee say, "Well done, good 
servant." Show me the next thing I ought 
to do, and by thy Grace I will do it. Grant 
thy Grace, for Jesus' sake. Amen. 

5. HYMN: "He leadeth me." 



6. OFFERING 



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7. THE SERMON 

A Triple Tragedy 

"But far be it from me to glory, save in the 
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which 
the world hath been crucified unto me and I unto 
the world." (Gal. 6: 14.) 

A great law is stated here. It is a law that pre- 
vails everywhere in both the natural and the spirit- 
ual world; to wit, Life out of Death. It is dwelt 
on with much emphasis in the teaching of Jesus; 
as where He says, "Whosover would save his life 
shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life for 
my sake and the gospel's shall save it." 

An illustration is found in the process of ger- 
mination: "Except a grain of wheat fall into the 
earth and die, it abideth by itself alone; but if it 
die, it beareth much fruit." Ask the husbandman 
who scatters wheat on his plowed field why he thus 
broadcasts the food which is necessary to sustain 
life, and he will answer, "Wait and see ! The fields 
will presently be white unto the harvest. The 
loaded wains will come groaning to the granaries. 
The millstones will revolve, and the hungry will 
eat. I consecrate the seed-corn to death; but be- 
hold it will reappear in the issues of a vaster life." 

The analogy, how T ever, must not be pressed too 
far. It holds as an illustration but not as a paral- 
lel, since the wheat does not really die. Were it not 
that life lingers in the germ, there would be no har- 
vest. The law of the natural world is laid down 
by Professor Tyndall, in these words: "It is a sci- 



A Triple Tragedy 133 



entific fact that life proceeds from life and from 
nothing but life." All efforts of biological chem- 
ists to quicken an inanimate thing have been un- 
availing. But the moment you cross the border 
into the realm of the supernatural, the law is pre- 
cisely reversed. Here life proceeds from death, 
and from nothing but death. Mors janua vita. 
The King of Terrors is bound to the chariot of 
Life. 

And this is the occasion of PauPs boasting. In 
his association with Christ the Life-giver, he has 
solved the problem. He sets it forth under the fig- 
ure of a triple tragedy. Here are three crosses; 
each an effigy of death, and each the source and 
fountain of a larger life. 

I. "I glory in the cross of Jesus Christ! 1 

Was he then oblivious of the fact that the cross 
was a symbol of shame? It was set apart for the 
execution of slaves and malefactors of the deepest 
dye. The shame was so pronounced that it passed 
into a proverb: " Cursed is every one who hangeth 
on a tree." Yet this, the gentlest born and noblest 
bred of the Apostles, glories in it. It is hs if a man 
were to boast of the fact that his father died on 
the gallows-tree. How shall we account for it? 

As to the fact of Jesus' death, there can be no 
shadow of doubt. Ask the centurion who had 
charge of his execution and he will say, "Aye: this 
is the spear which I thrust into his side; behold the 
stain of his heart's blood upon it!" Ask the com- 
mander of the garrison at Castle Antonia, and he 



134 The Home Sanctuary 



will show you the death certificate, bearing the im- 
perial seal. Ask the rabbis of the Sanhedrin, and 
they will answer, "The delegation appointed to 
witness the execution have brought us a satisfactory 
report. The Nazarene is dead; we shall hear no 
further of his doctrine and alleged miracles; he will 
trouble us no more. 5 ' Ask John and he will reply, 
"As we were removing his body from the cross in 
the twilight, I laid my hand upon his heart, and it 
was cold and still. His pulse was still. We hoped 
that it was he who should deliver Israel ; but alas ! 
he is dead!" Aye, Jesus is dead. On this all are 
agreed. 

Dead? Then why this universal commotion 
about him? Why, after the lapse of eighteen cen- 
turies, do his enemies still rail at him? How will 
you account for his place in literature? Books, 
books, books, about Jesus ! What means the ring- 
ing of these church-bells, this preaching from tens 
of thousands of pulpits on the glory of Christ; and 
the testimony of an ever-increasing multitude of 
men and women that he with mighty hand has lifted 
them out of the miry pit and set their feet upon 
an everlasting rock? And why this world-wide 
chorus, 

In the cross of Christ I glory 

Towering o'er the wrecks of time; 

All the light of sacred story 

Gathers round its head sublime? 

A dead Christ? Where are his peers? Let 
Napoleon speak from his lonely retreat at St. 



A Triple Tragedy 



135 



Helena: "You tell of the Caesars and Alexanders, 
of their conquests, of the enthusiasm which they 
enkindled in the hearts of their soldiers; but think 
of the conquests of this dead man ! Can you con- 
ceive of Caesar from the depth of his mausoleum 
watching over the destinies of Rome? Yet here 
is an arm that for eighteen centuries has protected 
the Church from all storms that have threatened to 
engulf it." He walks alone to-day upon the heights 
of influence, as Jean Paul said: "Purest among the 
mightiest and mightiest among the pure." No 
mortal can with him compare among the sons of 
men! 

It is fondly hoped that national disputes are 
henceforth to be settled by arbitration. In that 
event the Great Powers will all be represented. But 
when the commissioners have taken their places, 
they will not be able to proceed with the business 
in hand until the door opens and One enters before 
whom all must bow in reverence. The first word 
and the last word in the adjustment of every prob- 
lem of civilization is uttered by the Man who was 
executed at Golgotha. What does this mean? It 
means that Christ, by His atoning death, has at- 
tained to an ever-increasing life and influence 
among men and nations. Out of heaven there 
comes a voice, U I am the Living One; and I was 
dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, and 
I have the keys of death and of Hades!" 

II. We turn now to the second cross, and hear 
Paul saying, "I have been crucified with Christ! 9 



136 The Home Sanctuary 



In this, also, he finds an occasion of boasting. 
He might have gloried in his noble birth, his liberal 
education, his Roman citizenship or his honorable 
laurels won in earthly parliaments; but, if he must 
needs glory, he will glory in the fact that he has 
entered into the fellowship of the shameful death 
of Christ. 

Who is this "I" that died with Jesus on the 
cross? In the philosophy of Paul man is regarded 
as a dual personality. The "old man" and the 
"new man" — that is, the lower and the higher na- 
ture — are ever struggling for mastery. They are 
also characterized as "flesh" and "spirit." The 
one is base, sordid, sensual and hostile to God; the 
other is "created in Christ Jesus unto righteousness 
and true holiness." A man's growth in character 
is measured by the triumph of his higher over his 
lower nature. It was old Saul of Tarsus who was 
crucified with Christ — the Saul who went down to 
Damascus breathing out slaughter against the fol- 
lowers of Christ. He died on the highway when 
the great light fell upon him, and the Voice said, 
"I am Jesus!" In that moment a new man was 
born and began to live with the cry, "Lord, what 
wilt thou have me to do?" 

The man who has passed through this transfor- 
mation lives in a truer sense than ever before. Paul, 
standing by the cross whereon Saul of Tarsus died, 
cries triumphantly, "I have been crucified w T ith 
Christ! and it is no longer I that live, but Christ 
liveth in me !" 



A Triple Tragedy 137 



The new man is a free man. He is re- 
leased from the bondage of sin. The past, which 
was like a ball and chain upon him, is gone. 
The blood of Christ has cleansed him. He 
is delivered, also, from the bondage of the 
Law. Saul of Tarsus stood at Sinai, fearing 
and trembling under the sentence, "The soul that 
sinneth it shall die!" Paul the Apostle, hav- 
ing learned obedience in love, has passed into 
the glorious liberty of the children of God. 
He has seen his Lord nailing u the handwrit- 
ing of ordinances" to his cross and taking it out 
of the way. 

He is delivered, also, from the bondage of 
death; not that he must not pass through dissolu- 
tion like other men; but this means little to him, 
now that the gates of heaven are open beyond the 
tomb. He hears his Master saying, U I am the 
resurrection and the life; he that believeth on me, 
though he die, yet shall he live : and whosoever liv- 
eth and believeth on me shall never die!" The 
death beyond is not for him, since u there is no con- 
demnation to them that are in Christ Jesus." He 
hears the footfall of his executioner in the corridor 
of the Mammertine jail and answers, "I am already 
being offered, and the time of my departure is come. 
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the 
course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is 
laidup forme the crown !" — "O grave, where is thy 
victory? O death, where is thy sting? The sting 
of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law; but 



138 The Home Sanctuary 



thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory 
through our Lord Jesus Christ!" 

Thus, by the death of the old nature, we attain 
unto newness of life. We come forth out of the 
sepulcher of the flesh into the Kingdom of the 
Spirit, where we live upon a higher level and 
breathe a clearer atmosphere with God. It is as 
when one stands upon a summit of a mountain and 
looks down on those who plod along the lower 
paths. What mites and midgets are these, who 
bustle to and fro in pursuit of things that perish 
with the using! Up here are life and immortality. 
I died down yonder on the cross that I might live 
up here with God. I buried all and I have all. 

III. On the third cross u the world is crucified to 
me." 

The "world," thus referred to, is not that cos- 
mos of right and order, of innocent pursuit and 
pleasure, which God intended for us; but rather 
the world indicated in the phrase "lust of the flesh, 
lust of the eye and pride of life." This is the world 
which is ever at enmity with God. It may be de- 
fined as the sum total of all influences that make 
for spiritual and eternal death, of all that drag us 
down and away from the life that we were intended 
to live. It is the world of which it is written, "The 
friendship of the world is enmity against God." To 
one who has passed through the new birth, which 
makes a follower of Christ, the world thus defined 
is crucified. It dies hard; but it is surely stricken 
with death ; and it dies more and more as the proc- 



A Triple Tragedy 139 



ess of sanctification goes on. The process is radi- 
cal; as it is written, "Even now the ax lieth at the 
root of the trees." The demand of Christ is exclu- 
sive: u Ye can not serve God and mammon. Go 
sell all that thou hast, and come, follow me." 

In the hour of his conversion, Paul turned his 
back upon the world of sin. Inspexit et despexit! 
He beheld and renounced it. He defines that re- 
nunciation in this wise: "What things were gain to 
me these I counted loss for Christ. Yea, verily, 
and I count all things to be loss for the excellency 
of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for 
whom I suffered the loss of all things and do count 
them but refuse, that I may gain Christ, and be 
found in him, not having a righteousness of mine 
own, even that which is of the law, but that 
which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness 
which is from God by faith : that I may know him, 
and the power of his resurrection, and the fellow- 
ship of his sufferings, becoming conformed unto his 
death; if by any means I may attain unto the resur- 
rection from the dead." His reference is not to 
the final resurrection, but to that which is here and 
now. 

But the world, thus crucified, also rises, in new- 
ness of life. It lives again to every follower of 
Christ; a new world in which all that makes life 
worth living is multiplied a hundredfold. The 
pursuits of the world are wealth, pleasure, and 
honor. Can a Christian pursue these? Yes, with 
more intensity than ever ; but in a different way. It 



140 The Home Sanctuary 

is the business of every follower of Christ to ac- 
quire wealth, so far as it is possible by honest meth- 
ods, because in so doing he increases his power for 
God. It takes money to print Bibles, to equip 
churches, to build schools and hospitals and re- 
formatories, to charter missionary ships and carry 
the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth. But 
let it be observed the new-born man is urged to the 
acquisition of wealth by a motive far Jiigher than 
that which previously prompted him. He is now 
the servant of Christ, and whatever he gets or 
gains is to be used wholly for Christ. He is no 
longer an owner, but a steward. He acquires, that 
he may with his substance glorify God. On every 
dollar he earns is the image and superscription 
of the King; and thus, by honestly earning and 
properly spending, he enriches himself toward 
God. 

Is a Christian free to pursue pleasure? More 
than ever. No pleasures are banned except those 
which are defiled with sin. A Christian is under 
bonds to forsake no pleasure that any self-respect- 
ing man can indulge in. "Rejoice, O young man, 
in thy youth; but remember . . . !" Remember 
that as a follower of Christ you are bound to keep 
your conscience pure. All pleasure is banned that 
dulls the fine edge of the moral sense or separates 
the soul from God. Away, therefore, with all 
sensual passion, all mad dissipation, the laughter 
which is as the crackling of thorns; but welcome 
peace of conscience, the generous pleasure of kindly 



A Triple Tragedy 141 



deeds, the merry-making or Cana with the benedic- 
tion of Christ upon it! 

Is a Christian free to pursue honor also ? Aye : 
not for its own sake, indeed ; but that he may make 
the most of himself and enlarge his influence to the 
utmost in the service of Christ. Let him win all 
possible crowns and diadems; but only that he may 
lay them at his Master's feet and crown him Lord 
of all. 

So, then, in Paul's manifesto we have the ap- 
ologue of life. Life out of death ! On one cross 
Jesus dies; and a voice is heard saying, "I am the 
Living One; and I was dead, and, behold, I am 
alive forevermore." On the second cross I die: 
"It is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in 
me." On the third cross the world dies — the 
world of shame and selfishness and false ambition; 
but beyond it there opens up another world, a royal 
demesne of high privilege, to which the Lord wel- 
comes us. 

And this is life. How shall we attain unto it? 
We go by the steep pathway to the stars. No man 
reaches life who is not willing to die for it. He 
must give up all if he would possess all. He must 
enter into the fellowship of the death of Christ if 
he would be glorified with him. "If any man 
would come after me, let him deny himself, and 
take up his cross and follow me." No cross, no 
crown. To win that crown, we place our hand in 
Christ's, saying, "I will die with thee, that I may 
live with thee." 



> 



142 The Home Sanctuary 



Thine, Jesus, thine! 

No more this heart of mine 

Would find its joy apart from thee; 

The world is crucified to me, 

And I am thine, Lord Jesus, thine ! 

8. PRAYER 

O thou blessed Lord, who didst bear the 
bitter shame of the cross, grant that thy blood 
may purge me from dead works to serve the 
living God! Help me so to dedicate myself 
to thy service that there may be no reservation 
in my vows. Take me, body and soul, into thy 
care and keeping. Control and guide me, 
until the day break and the shadows flee away 
and I find myself forever with thee. Amen. 

9. HYMN: "Love divine, all loves excelling." 

10. BENEDICTION 

Grace, mercy and peace, from God the 
Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, be 
with you. Amen. 



ELEVENTH SERVICE 



The Great Healer 

1. INVOCATION 

f \ Lord, how amiable are thy tabernacles ! 
^ Yea, even the little tabernacles, where the 
humble commune with thee. It is a great 
thing for a mortal to meet thee face to face ; 
yet this I pray and long for. As of old thou 
didst manifest thy presence from between the 
wings of the cherubim, so, Lord, be pleased to 
show thyself now unto me. And let this be an 
hour of blessing; for Jesus' sake. Amen. 

2. HYMN: "Come, ye disconsolate." 

3. SCRIPTURE LESSON 

Psalm 107:1-21. 
Luke 5 : 1 7-3 2. 

4. PRAYER 

O King eternal, immortal, invisible, the 
only wise God; to thee be glory and majesty, 
dominion and power, world without end. I 
pray for a revelation of truth. Open unto 
me thy holy Word, whose entrance giveth 
light. Make the great verities of the spiritual 
life so clear that my impressions may be 
deepened into convictions; then let the 

143 



144 The Home Sanctuary 



sanctifying Spirit bring those convictions to 
a plenteous fruitage in my life. Save me 
from mere intellectual faith and outward 
form. Save me from the religion of the 
Pharisees, with its tithe of garden herbs. 
Save me from the self-righteousness of the 
Laodiceans, and give me the gold of truth, 
that I may be rich, the white raiment of holi- 
ness, that I may be suitably clothed for 
heaven ; and anoint mine eyes with thy saving 
grace, that I may see the relative value of 
temporal and spiritual things. Call me into 
thy service with a clearer call, and help me to 
run in the way of thy commandments. If 
thou hast appointed unto me a lonely place 
of toil or suffering, help me to abide there, 
obedient and glad either to do or to suffer thy 
holy will. Gracious Lord and Saviour, let 
thy mercy rest on all afflicted souls. Hear 
thou the cry of those who call upon thee out 
of the Valley of Tears. Bless thy servants 
who go forth into the white harvest ; and may 
they return with rejoicing, bringing their 
sheaves with them. Save sinners and sanctify 
saints, O Spirit of the Living God. Let the 
Christ of Calvary see of the fruit of the 
travail of his soul and be satisfied. Make this 
one of thy great days in Zion ; make it a day of 
rejoicing in heaven because of the bringing 
in of many prisoners of hope, to the glory of 
thy Name forever and ever. Amen. 



The Great Healer 145 



5. HYMN : "I was a wandering sheep," 

6. OFFERING 

7. THE SERMON 

The Great Healer 

"And amazement took hold on all, and they 
glorified God; and they were filled with fear, 
saying, We have seen strange things to-day." 
(Luke 5 : 26.) 

A Doctor had come to town and invited the 
people to bring all their sick for consultation and 
treatment free of charge. The open court and 
piazzas of the house where he was staying were 
thronged with patients and their friends. The 
lame came hobbling to the clinic; mothers brought 
their ailing children in their arms; some of the suf- 
ferers were carried on litters; and u the power of 
the Lord was present to heal them." There were 
scribes and rabbis also, with official members of 
the synagogues from the neighboring towns, look- 
ing on with critical eyes. It was a great day for 
Capernaum ; for many a home that had been dark- 
ened by the spectral shadow of disease was made to 
rejoice with exceeding joy. 

The man who tells the story of the clinic was 
present that day; and he was competent to speak 
in these premises, being himself a physician. He 
was a master of therapeutics and skilled in the use 
of the medicaments of his time ; and he shared in 



146 The Home Sanctuary 



the general amazement, never having "seen things 
on this fashion." Here was a Doctor without a 
diploma, unlearned in the methods of the schools, 
who quite eclipsed him and all others of his craft. 
It was little wonder that the people "were 
amazed." No doubt some of them spoke of "wiz- 
ardry and legerdemain," perhaps even of sorcery 
and "the black art" ; for indeed they saw "strange 
things" that day. 

I have a warm place in my heart for the medical 
profession. The greatest thing in the world is to 
be a preacher of the unsearchable riches of Christ; 
but the next greatest is to be called and equipped 
for the healing of the ills that human flesh is heir 
to. The two professions, though they were com- 
bined in Christ, are quite separate and distinct; 
and I, for one, am very willing that physicians shall 
attend to their vocation while I attend to mine. 
This Church does not expect to have a hospital an- 
nex connected with it. The average clergyman, if 
he addresses himself to his spiritual functions, has 
all that he can do. 

On a morning in June, more than twenty years 
ago, I landed from a little boat in the town of 
Ardrossan in Scotland. It was very early, and 
making my way along the silent street I turned into 
a by-path leading upward to a ruined castle which 
was seen dimly through the overhanging mist. 
Presently I paused to rest on the pedestal of a 
wayside monument. On its shaft was this inscrip- 
tion: 



The Great Healer 147 



Here Lies 
Alexander MacFadzean, M.D. 

this monument is erected 
By the Citizens of this Town 
In Grateful Remembrance 
of their 
Good Physician 
His Works do Praise Him 

There are many such memorials all over the 
world; but there never lived, through all the cen- 
turies, a physician who could be compared with the 
Good Physician who held the clinic in Capernaum 
that day. 

I. He stood alone and solitary in his singular 
apprehension of the reality of pain. 

All doctors are brought into contact with suffer- 
ing; but none has ever had occasion to know so 
closely or to deal so actually with its awful reality. 

The Buddhists have a word, "maya," which is 
one of the keynotes of their religion. It means 
"illusion." To their minds all sensation whatso- 
ever is unreal. Joy and grief, pain and pleasure, 
hope and disappointment, are all illusory, or "as 
the shadow of a dream." There are people among 
us who hold a like opinion, affirming that pain is 
merely "a belief of mortal mind." The fact that 
this gives direct contradiction to the physical senses 
should be enough to satisfy the average man. 

Christ took a diametrically opposite view. It 
was because there was suffering in the world that 
he came from heaven to relieve it. He began his 
ministry in the synagogue at Nazareth, where he 



148 The Home Sanctuary 



preached on the text : "The Spirit of the Lord God 
is upon me, because he anointed me to preach good 
tidings to the poor; he hath sent me to proclaim 
release to the captives and recovering of sight to 
the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 
to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." It 
is written of him that u he was a man of sorrows 
and acquainted with grief." His life was crowned 
with pain. Did he not suffer on the cross? If the 
three mortal hours of his Passion were not truly 
vicarious pain, then are we of all men most miser- 
able ; for vain is our faith, as we are yet in our sins. 

II. This Good Physician possessed also a 
singular insight with respect to suffering. 

The art of the physician lies largely in his ability 
to make a clear diagnosis. Not infrequently the 
most skillful practitioner is bound to say, "I do 
not know precisely what ails this patient" ; and this 
because the malady lies within one of the closed 
chambers of life. 

It is recorded of Charles II of England that in 
his last illness he had fourteen physicians. They 
bled and blistered, physicked and stimulated him 
in vain. Macaulay says : "They tortured him like 
an Indian at the stake." And it was finally left for 
an autopsy to reveal what ailed him. 

But Christ made no mistake in diagnosis. He 
never attacked the symptoms of disease, but aimed 
directly at its seat; and he always cured. 

Christ perceived what many physicians fail to 
perceive, that every disease is directly or remotely 



The Great Healer 149 



traceable to sin. If there had never been sin, there 
would be no suffering in the world. Get rid of 
that taint in the blood, and red-faced Fever and 
pale Consumption will take their flight. "By this 
came all our woes." And the Good Physician came 
all the way from Heaven to heal the world of the 
taint of sin. 

III. Let it be observed, further, that this Good 
Physician healed without medicine. 

Others must use the materia medica. He healed 
with a word, or with a touch of his cunning fingers. 
As he walked among the couches of his patients he 
touched them, spoke to them, and they arose and 
went their way. It is as if a surgeon were to enter 
one of our public hospitals and, passing up and 
down among the wards, say, "Be whole ! — Arise ! 
— Receive thy sight!" and cure them all. Would 
not all witnesses unite in saying, "We have seen 
strange things to-day"? 

The point in the phrase "strange things" is well 
taken; for in the case of Jesus the cures were all 
miracles ; that is, they were wrought directly by the 
power of God. 

And the greatest of the miracles of Jesus was 
forgiveness, as he said, "The Son of Man hath 
authority on earth to forgive sin." In that clinic 
at Capernaum there was one man, brought in a 
litter, who was desperately sick of the palsy. And 
Jesus said to him, "Man, thy sins are forgiven 
thee." The censorious scribes who were looking 
on lifted their eyebrows thereat, as if to say, "This 



150 The Home Sanctuary 

is easy; any one can say, Thy sins be forgiven!" 
And Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, u Why 
reason ye in your hearts ? Which is easier to say, 
Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Arise and 
walk? But that ye may know that the Son of 
Man hath authority on earth to forgive sins, I now 
say to the sick of the palsy, Arise, and take up thy 
couch and go unto thy house." And immediately 
the man rose up among them and departed, glorify- 
ing God. The meaning here is obvious. The 
miracles of Jesus were all parables ; all alike illus- 
trating the tremendous fact that he who could open 
the eyes of the blind, cleanse the leper and heal the 
paralytic could absolve the soul of the sinner from 
his sins. And this, the greatest of all wonders or 
miracles, is beyond the power of human art; it is 
the exclusive function and prerogative of the only- 
begotten Son of God. 

IV. A nd Jesus stood alone among all physicians 9 
also } by reason of his invariable success. 

Others, having exhausted their resources, are 
often driven to confess, "I can do no more"; but 
he never failed. He rejoiced to apply his super- 
human skill to what are called hopeless cases. 

If ever there was a desperate case of blindness 
it was that of Bartimaeus, the beggar who appealed 
to Jesus on the highway. Yet, at the word, "Re- 
ceive thy sight!" he opened his eyes and fell in 
with the company, glorifying God. 

If ever there was a hopeless case of hemorrhage 
it was that of the woman who "had spent all her 



The Great Healer 151 



living on physicians" in the vain hope of cure. 
Yet when she merely touched the hem of his gar- 
ment, u virtue went out of him," and the swift cur- 
rent of health went coursing through her veins. 

If ever there was a desperate case of leprosy it 
was that of the man who, "being full of leprosy," 
fell before Jesus, saying, u Lord, if thou wilt, thou 
canst make me clean !" And he put forth his hand, 
saying, "I will; be thou clean," and immediately 
his leprosy departed from him. 

If ever there was a hopeless case of sin it was 
that of the Magdalene, a woman of the town, 
notorious for her vicious life. Yet she was con- 
verted and saved by the power of his word, "Go in 
peace; thy faith hath saved thee!" 

Yes, there was even a more desperate case than 
hers ; namely, that of the thief who, having passed 
his years in outlawry, was condemned to death. 
In articulo mortis he raised his eyes penitently to 
Jesus, saying, "Lord, remember me!" and the an- 
swer came, like a swift decree from the throne of 
heavenly grace, "To-day thou shalt be with me in 
paradise !" 

By this we learn that the Good Physician knows 
no "hopeless cases." The most incurable malady 
is not beyond his skill. Let none despair, there- 
fore; for his promise is, "Him that cometh unto 
me I will in no wise cast out." 

V. Furthermore, this Good Physician exacted 
no fees. 

He presented no "doctor's bill." His services 



152 The Home Sanctuary 



were gratis; that is, of grace. Consultation and 
treatment, with a cure guaranteed, were without 
money and without price. 

A few years ago one of our leading citizens, a 
multi-millionaire, was greatly concerned for his 
little daughter who was afflicted with a malady 
which no resident physician could cure. A special- 
ist was sent for, from Germany, who, after afford- 
ing relief, was rewarded with a fee of ten thousand 
dollars. And no doubt the father was only too 
ready to pay it. 

But Christ asks only gratitude, and expects no- 
thing else for his services. "What shall I render 
unto Jehovah for all his benefits toward me? I 
will take the cup of salvation and call upon the 
name of Jehovah. I will pay my vows unto 
Jehovah, yea, in the presence of all his people; in 
the courts of Jehovah's house, in the midst of thee, 
O Jerusalem. Praise ye Jehovah!" 

VI. But, though no fee was exacted by this 
Physician, there was nevertheless a condition 
affixed to the promise of his healing grace. 

And it was a very reasonable condition ; namely, 
that the patient should follow his directions. This 
covers all cases of both physical and spiritual heal- 
ing. "Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it." 

I believe in u faith-cure" ; but the prayer for 
physical healing is subject to the condition referred 
to. The one who prays must do so with a filial 
spirit as a child of God. He must recognize the 
fact that God is wiser than man, and knows bet- 



The Great Healer 153 



ter what is good for him. It may be that in his 
case, as in that of Lazarus, his u sickness is to the 
glory of God." It is quite possible that when he 
prays, as Paul did, to be delivered from some thorn 
in the flesh, the answer may be, "My grace shall 
be sufficient for thee !" He who would follow the 
directions of the Good Physician must be prepared 
always to preface his petition for healing with this : 
"Thy will be done!" To demand healing at the 
throne of heavenly grace is to take a most unwar- 
rantable liberty with God. And it is evident that 
if such prayers were always answered, if every 
disease were cured at the imperative instance of the 
sufferer, no one would ever die. Then what a world 
this world of ours would be ! 

But in the case of prayers for spiritual healing 
the answer is always forthcoming ; since sin is never 
to the glory of God. Here the direction of the 
Physician is, "Only believe"; that is, "Take me at 
my word. Be willing to be saved in my way. Put 
away all prejudgments that could interpose betwixt 
thee and me. Accept the proffer of my pardoning 
grace as fully and freely as I offer it. He that 
believeth in me hath everlasting life." 

VII. One thing more. The Good Physician was 
singular in his ubiquity. 

He never needed to be called. Those who profess 
to administer "absent treatment," in our time, are 
mere charlatans. He was never absent. His power 
was ever "present to heal." 

So long as I live I shall remember a dreary night 



154 The Home Sanctuary 



in my boyhood when my mother awoke me, saying, 
"Run for the doctor; your father is dying !" I ran 
half-clad through the wintry night. I rang the 
doctor's bell. My lips were blue and my teeth 
chattering. I rang again; I shook the door. Oh, 
would the doctor never answer? Would he never 
come ? And, when he did come, would he be able 
to help, after all? 

There is no need to run for this Doctor. He is 
not far from anyone of us. He waits to be gra- 
cious. He is here now: 

We may not climb the heavenly steeps 
To bring the Lord Christ down ; 

In vain we search the lowest deeps, 
For him no depths can drown ; 

But warm, sweet, tender, even yet 

A present help is he ; 
And faith has yet its Olivet, 

And love its Galilee. 

The healing of his seamless dress 

Is by our beds of pain; 
We touch him in life's throng and press, 

And we are whole again. 

There may be somebody whose eyes are now 
running along these lines that needs the Doctor. If 
he be groaning under a burden of physical pain, let 
him pray ; for the Lord heareth. But let him pray 
aright and, though his malady may be not healed, 
by reason of a just consideration of his greater 
good, yet he will surely receive grace to bear it. 



The Great Healer 155 



Or, he may be bending under the burden of a 
greater malady — that of unforgiven sin. He is 
oppressed by "a certain fearful looking-for of judg- 
ment. " He has gone for relief to other physicians, 
to false philosophies in vain. Let him try Christ. 
Let him cry, "Have mercy, Lord! O Lord, for- 
give!" And the answer will come in the instant 
of faith — by the truth and the mercy of the living 
God,, this answer will come, bringing peace and as- 
surance: "Thy sins be forgiven thee!" 

8. PRAYER 

Be gracious, O Lord, in view of fleshly in- 
firmities. Thou hast the healing touch; yea, 
there is health-giving power in the very hem 
of thy garment. But grant above all the 
restoration of my soul, sore-stricken. I be- 
lieve thou didst suffer in my stead upon the 
bitter cross; wherefore say clearly unto me, 
"Thy sins be forgiven thee" ; and I will praise 
thy Name forever. Amen. 

9. HYMN : "Arise, my soul, arise; shake off thy 

guilty fears." 

10. BENEDICTION 

The Lord bless thee and keep thee; the 
Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be 
gracious unto thee; the Lord lift upon thee 
the light of his countenance and give thee 
peace. Amen. 



TWELFTH SERVICE 



The Kindest Word Ever Spoken 



i. INVOCATION 

T cry unto thee, O Lord, my Rock; be not 



the place of communion. Speak thou com- 
fortably unto me, that my heart may rejoice 
in thy salvation. Teach me thy way, O Lord, 
and lead me in a plain path; for thy Name's 
sake. Amen. 

2. HYMN: "Awake, my soul, to joyful lays!" 

3. SCRIPTURE LESSON 

Psalm 27. 
Matthew 1 1 : 15-30. 

4. PRAYER 

As the hart panteth after the waterb rooks 
so panteth my soul after thee, O God. Let 
thy gracious words be as springs of water on 
a weary journey through a dry and thirsty 
land. In pain and sorrow and loneliness may 
I find strength and refreshing in thee. Take 
away the last lingering thought of unforgiven 
sin, for Jesus' sake, and grant me a continual 
growth in grace by thy Spirit dwelling within 
and working in me. Incline my heart to self- 




Let me hear thy voice in 



The Kindest Word Ever Spoken 157 

forgetfulness and my hands to ministries of 
mercy. Bless all who worship in thy courts. 
Give the baptism of fire and power to those 
who preach the unsearchable riches of Christ; 
and give to thy people everywhere the hearing 
ear and the understanding heart. Conquer 
sinners, comfort saints, and take glory to thy- 
self this day. Bless our dear country. Let 
its rulers and magistrates be subject to thy holy 
Law. Long may our land be bright with free- 
dom's holy light; protect us by thy might, 
great God, our King. Go thou with the her- 
alds of thy Gospel to the uttermost parts of 
the earth. Hasten the time when the Sun of 
Righteousness shall arise in regions of dark- 
ness, and when the heathen shall come run- 
ning unto thee. Come, Lord Jesus; come 
quickly. The whole creation groaneth and 
travaileth for thee. Rend the heavens and 
come down. Take unto thyself thy great 
power and reign in thy life-giving majesty 
among all nations. Let the whole earth be 
full of thy glory. Amen and Amen. 

5. HYMN: "Blow ye the trumpet, blow!" 

6. OFFERING 

7. THE SERMON 

The Kindest Word Ever Spoken 
(Gen. 7:1; Matt. 11:28; Rev. 22:17.) 



158 The Home Sanctuary 



The word is "Come." It is the kindest that 
was ever spoken. Its significance lies in the fact 
that it falls from the gracious lips of God. 

If He were to stand forth visibly on the circle 
of the universe and call, "Come," the world would 
doubtless come running to him; but he makes no 
such theatrical appearance. He does not speak 
thus audibly to the children of men. His word of 
invitation, glowing on the pages of Scripture, must 
be received by faith; in default of faith it falls on 
heedless ears. 

The word is commonplace to the average man. 
It is like a coin that has been so long in circulation 
that its image and superscription have worn off. 

"To preach on this," said I to myself, "will be 
like the telling of an oft-told tale." But as I sat 
looking at the word it seemed to take on a new 
meaning. In it I saw Three Tragedies, the great- 
est tragedies that ever have occurred in this world 
of ours. 

First, the Tragedy of Sin; for the word would 
never have needed to be spoken, had there not been 
a departure from God. 

The opening words of "Paradise Lost" are 
these : 

Of man's first disobedience, and the fruit 
Of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste 
Brought death into the world and all our woe, 
With loss of Eden, till one greater Man 
Restore us, and regain the blissful seat, 
Sing heavenly Muse. 



The Kindest Word Ever Spoken 159 

The scene as it presented itself to Milton's mind 
was Adam facing the forbidden tree. The voice 
of the Law was ringing in his ears, u Thou shalt 
not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof 
thou shalt surely die" ; but another voice, that of the 
tempter, a low, insinuating voice, was saying "Yea, 
hath God said?" and the man, listening, hesitating, 
faltering, fell; and falling died the death of aliena- 
tion from God. The voice that once he had loved 
to hear is calling now, "Adam, where art thou?" 
and he answers, "I was afraid and hid myself !" A 
fearing, cowering, hiding soul! There is the trag- 
edy : A soul away from God ! 

But this is no question of "original sin." I do 
not say that we are unconcerned in that far-away 
tragedy in the Garden of Eden; but souls die not 
of original but of actual and personal sin. "As I 
live, saith the Lord Jehovah, ye shall not have any 
more occasion to use this proverb in Israel, 'The 
fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children's 
teeth are set on edge.' Behold, all souls are mine; 
as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son 
is mine; the soul that sinneth it shall die!" (Ezek. 
18:1-4.) 

All sin, even the least, is tragical, because its 
issue is death. It alienates from the Law-giver, 
of necessity, since it is a wilful breach of the 
Law. To lie, to steal, to kill, to slander, to covet, 
to harbor a hateful thought or gaze with a 
lustful eye, is lese-majeste. It is in the nature of 
rebellion, the hopeless rebellion of a man whose 



160 The Home Sanctuary 



breath is in his nostrils against an infinite and holy 
God. 

And every sin is in the nature of suicide as well. 
Alas, the habit is on us ! We are so busy sinning 
that we do not hear the voice of the offended law 
iterating and reiterating, with ever deeper em- 
phasis, the penalty of each repeated sin, "Depart! 
Depart from God! Hide yourself in the night! 
Hide among the trees of the garden ! Hide and 
tremble, for the Holy One comes this way !" 

So runs the double tragedy of sin: Rebellion 
and suicide ! The outlaw who, having barricaded 
himself among the rocks, shoots at the officers of 
justice until all his ammunition is exhausted but one 
shot, and then discharges that into his own brain, 
is not more really a suicide than the sinner who, de- 
fiant of all warnings and entreaties, persists in vi- 
olating the Divine law. 

The Second of the Tragedies in this word 
"Come" is the Tragedy of the Cross; for it would 
have been impossible for God to invite the sinner 
to return had he not thus prepared the way. 

At this point we observe the vital difference be- 
tween Christianity and all other religions. In point 
of fact, all religions may be classed under three 
heads : namely, Natural, Intuitional, and Revealed. 

In Natural Religion there is no intimation of 
any possible pardon of sin. True, Nature "speaks 
a various language" ; but in all her vocabulary there 
is no such word as "Come." Of the interpreters of 
Nature none has spoken more eloquently than Cole- 



The Kindest Word Ever Spoken 161 



ridge, who, standing in the Vale of Chamouni, 
heard voices all about him: 

Ye Ice-falls ! ye that from the mountain's brow 
Adown enormous ravines slope amain, 
Motionless torrents, silent cataracts; 
Who made you glorious as the gates of heaven 
Beneath the keen full moon ? Who bade the sun 
Clothe you with rainbows ? Who, with living flowers 
Of loveliest blue, spread garlands at your feet? 
God! Let the torrents like a shout of nations 
Answer, and let the ice-plains echo, God! 
God ! Sing, ye meadow streams with gladsome voice ; , 
Ye pine groves, with your soft and soul-like sound ; 
And they too have a voice, yon piles of snow, 
And in their perilous fall shall thunder, God ! 

Ye living flowers that skirt the eternal frost; 
Ye wild goats sporting round the eagle's nest; 
Ye eagles, playmates of the mountain storm; 
Ye lightnings, the dread arrows of the clouds; 
Ye signs and wonders of the elements, 
Utter forth, God ! 

So from things created are clearly seen the in- 
visible things of God. This is natural theology. 
Yet in all this there is no comfort or encouragement 
for the soul that has been alienated from God. 

The same is true of Intuitional Religion. As the 
word "Come" is not heard in nature, so it is not 
spoken by conscience from within us. The most 
sympathetic advocate of the Intuitional School 
among the poets is Wordsworth, who, in his "In- 
timations of Immortality," sings thus: 



1 62 The Home Sanctuary 



Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting, 

The soul that rises with us, our life's star, 

Hath had elsewhere its setting, 

And cometh from afar. 

Not in entire forgetfulness, 

And not in utter nakedness, 

But trailing clouds of glory do we come 

From God, who is our home. 

The sense of our Divine birthright never leaves 
us. Man is a ruin, but a magnificent one, amid 
whose desolation, as in some crumbling temple, 
walks the soul, like a Levite stripped of his ephod 
and ever mourning for his lost God. But in all 
these intuitions and voices from within there is no 
answer to the question, "How can I rid myself of 
sin that I may return again to a holy God?" 

It is left for the Gospel, the Religion of Revela- 
tion, to utter forth the invitation and cast up a 
highway for the homesick soul. The God of the 
Bible calls, "Come!" and lifting his finger points 
to the Tragedy of the Cross. It is here that our 
great questions are answered, u How can God be 
just and yet the Justifier of the ungodly?" and, 
"How can a man be just with God?" 

The Son of God, bearing our sins in his own 
body on the tree, is the personification and living 
articulation of the word "Come." His hands are 
outstretched as if to sweep away all obstacles that 
could prevent the sinner's return, while he says, 
"Look unto me, all ye ends of the earth, and be 
ye saved." 

As all figurative expressions of truth have their 



The Kindest Word Ever Spoken 163 



limitations, so the Parable of the Prodigal Son, 
pathetically and wonderfully beautiful as it is, falls 
short at one point. The father stands in the door- 
way, looking off toward the far country, where his 
wayward son has gone. Night after night he has 
kindled the lights in his windows. His door has 
never been shut. He has stretched out his arms in 
his dreams; but he has never gone out after his 
wandering boy. But the heart of our Father, with 
its great longing after his prodigals, drove him out, 
as the Good Shepherd seeking the lost sheep, into 
the night. He braved the tempest to seek and save. 
This going out is the Incarnation ; and the passion 
of Calvary is the saving of the lost. O Infinite 
Grace ! O Divine condescension ! 

The Third of the Tragedies implied in the word 
"Come" is the Great Refusal; and this is a tragedy 
that reaches on forever. Alas for the soul which, 
when God calls, "Come," answers, "I will not!" 

It is recorded that, while Christ was agonizing 
on the Cross, another tragedy was going on beneath 
it. The priests "derided him"; the soldiers "cast 
lots for his raiment"; and the people "stood be- 
holding." Out of heaven God was calling, 
"Come!" and the emphasis put upon the invita- 
tion, then and there, was as if God had taken the 
very heart out of his bosom and given it to agony 
and death for them. Yet cool, indifferent or hos- 
tile, all alike were answering, "I will not!" 

And this is the tragedy which is ever going on : 
men and women, with heedless or deliberate hands, 



164 The Home Sanctuary 



closing against themselves the only door that ever 
was opened into life. "O foolish Galatians, who 
hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the 
truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been 
openly set forth crucified among you?" 

One thing is clear : God is absolved. For what 
more could he have done for his vineyard than he 
has done? 

To compel a man to accept the Divine invitation 
is, in the nature of the case, impossible. As we 
were created in God's likeness, in full possession 
of a sovereign will, he can do no more than place 
before us life and death, saying, u Choose ye!" 
And therein is the climax of this eternal tragedy, 
that when he has done his utmost we still can an- 
swer, "I will not!" 

All has been done that omnipotent Love could 
do. God spared not his own Son, but delivered him 
up for us all. He has offered the benefits of the 
Atonement on the simplest and easiest terms; 
namely, the mere acceptance of faith. 

He has condescended to stand among us offering 
his priceless gift of grace, calling to passers-by, 
"Ho, every one that thirsteth! Come ye to the 
waters; and he that hath no money, come ye, buy 
and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without 
money and without price!" 

Not only does he call upon us, but he has stooped 
to argue the case with us. "Come now, let us rea- 
son together," saith the Lord. It is as if he said 
"Sit thou there while I sit here, and let us con- 



The Kindest Word Ever Spoken 165 

sider the question." And to all our arguments he 
makes one answer: "Though your sins be as scarlet, 
they shall be as white as snow ; though they be red 
like crimson, they shall be as wool." 

Nay, further; he warns and remonstrates: 
"Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! 1 
have nourished and brought up children and they 
have rebelled against me. The ox knoweth his 
owner, and the ass his master's crib ; but Israel doth 
not know, my people doth not consider. Why will 
ye be stricken any more?" And again: "As I live, 
saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of 
the wicked but that all should turn unto me and 
live. Turn ye, turn ye; for why will ye die?" 

Is more possible ? Yes, behold the tears of God ! 
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have 
gathered thy children together as a hen gathereth 
her chickens under her wings and ye would not! 
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate!" 

It is clear, therefore, that, whatever comes of his 
overtures, God is vindicated. He has done the 
very utmost that Omnipotence could do : the rest 
is for us. 

So rises the unanswerable question: "How shall 
ye escape if ye neglect so great salvation?" One 
door of escape has been opened : what remains for 
those who wilfully or negligently close it? How 
shall they hope to return to God? 

Come, then. Come as a wayward child returns 
to its parents' arms. 

On a memorable day, long ago, I had a falling 



1 66 The Home Sanctuary 



out with a child of mine, who has been years in 
heaven. I think it was not wholly my fault. All 
day long there was a tempest in the little heart. 
At evening when I came home I stretched out my 
arms ; but she would not. Her heart was sore, her 
eyes were red with weeping, her lips were tightly 
drawn. The little rebel; how I grieved for her! 
"Come," I said; and again stretched out my hands. 
Then suddenly she broke down and with a flood of 
tears threw herself upon my breast. Ah, "cuddle 
doon, my bairnie I" 

And Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, 
except ye become as this little child ye shall in no 
wise enter the Kingdom of God." 

8. PRAYER 

O thou who gavest thyself for me, help 
me to hide myself in thee. Be thou my Lord, 
my life, my sacrifice, my Saviour and my all. 
In the heat of the long day let me rest in thee 
as in the shadow of a great rock in a weary 
land. In my last hour let my life be hid with 
thee in God. Amen. 

9. HYMN: "Rock of Ages." 

10. BENEDICTION 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the 
love of God the Father, and the communion 
of the Holy Ghost be with you. Amen. 



THIRTEENTH SERVICE 
The Higher Life 

1. INVOCATION 

Othou Eternal and Ever-blessed God, 
giver of every good and perfect gift, 
grant me now a season of helpful communion 
with thee. Let my praise be as incense and 
my prayers as the morning sacrifice. If there 
be any difficulty in the way of my near ap- 
proach to thee, be pleased to remove it; for 
Jesus' sake. Amen. 

2. HYMN : u Love divine, all love excelling." 

3. SCRIPTURE LESSON 

Psalm 42. 
Luke 24:13-31. 

4. PRAYER 

O God, thy greatness is unsearchable; and 
thy love, who can comprehend it? Thou art 
nigh unto all them that call upon thee. Let 
me not grope after thee, as blind men feel 
their way along the wall ; for thou art nearer 
than seeing and touching, here and now. As- 
sure me of thy pardoning and sanctifying 
grace. Help me to live so close to Calvary 
167 



The Home Sanctuary 



that I shall never lose the vision of thy love ; 
and keep me always under the open heavens, 
so that thy Spirit like a dove may descend 
upon me. I believe thou dost expect great 
things of me; for I am thy child, made in thy 
likeness, capable of thinking thy thoughts 
after thee. Blessed be thy Name for a di- 
vine birthright and an outlook into eternity. 
Help me to realize the possibilities that are 
in me. Now am I a child of God; but it doth 
not yet appear what I shall be. Save me 
from a low conception of life. Help me to 
live to-day as if I expected to live forever. 
Exalt my low desires, and enable me to covet 
earnestly the best things. Make me profit- 
able unto thee. Send me on thine errands. 
Here am I, Lord : what wilt thou have me to 
do? The world is full of needy souls; the 
air is resonant with a cry for help. Help me 
to answer it, according to the full measure of 
my power. By word and example may I be 
ever glorifying thee. Keep all thy people 
busy. When they pray "Thy kingdom come," 
let them follow their prayer with the amen 
of service. When they pray "Thy will be 
done on earth as in heaven," let them proceed 
to do thy holy will. Prosper thy work in Zion 
to-day. Bless the ministration of thy Gospel 
at home and abroad. May all the reapers 
come in with sheaves at eventide. Save souls, 
O Lord! Let earth rejoice and heaven be 



The Higher Life 169 



glad because of sinners returning from the 
error of their way; for Jesus' sake. Amen. 

5. HYMN : "There is no Name so sweet on 

earth." 

6. OFFERING 

7. THE SERMON 

The Higher Life 
"For me to live is Christ." (Phil. 1 : 21.) 

A letter from an unknown friend in Man- 
chester, England, runs as follows: "Dear Sir: — 
Will you kindly permit me to ask what in your 
opinion is the greatest, highest, deepest spiritual 
theme for Christians to consider at the present 
time? As for myself, I very reverently take Paul's 
words, 'For me to live is Christ/ I should be 
grateful to receive an answer from you! } 

In those words "For me to live is Christ" 
we have set before us, as this writer says, "the 
greatest, highest, deepest spiritual theme." I 
should like to unfold it; but the trouble is I can 
not adequately grasp it. I feel as I did once when, 
standing at the Giant's Causeway on the extreme 
coast of Ireland, I saw stretching before me the 
immeasurable sea. I am lost, bewildered, over- 
whelmed, in contemplating it. 

But it opens up some questions on which we may 
possibly get a little light. 

First, what is Life? What is it "to live"? 



170 The Home Sanctuary 



Is it simply to exist, to breathe and eat and sleep, 
to arise in the morning and seek the shop or office 
to pursue one's common tasks, then home again 
to eat and sleep and rise to the familiar treadmill; 
until one day the pulse flutters ominously, and the 
doctor is called in : then crape on the door, a hearse 
rumbling through the streets, and a new stone in 
the graveyard bearing the inscription "Rest in 
peace"? Is that all? This is the lowest, the 
merely physical conception of life. 

The intellectual conception of life is higher. It 
is well to cultivate the mind, because knowledge is 
power. But will culture of itself avail? Up in 
Cambridge there is a boy of eleven who, they say, 
has mastered the higher mathematics. Not long 
ago he lectured to the Harvard Faculty on "the 
Fourth Dimension" — something or other of which 
most of us have no knowledge. The newspapers 
speak of him as a u megalocephalous phenomenon"; 
but it would be more to the purpose to be informed 
that he is a good boy. The fact is, intellectual 
culture has no influence upon the moral nature. 
The wisest man of his time in France was Voltaire, 
whose friends were fond of calling him "The En- 
cyclopedia." He was an encyclopedia, indeed, 
bound in pigskin ; for in many respects he was the 
most vicious of men. The wisest man of his time 
in Holland was Grotius, who had mastered so 
many branches of knowledge that he was called 
"the Learned Grotius" ; yet, referring to one of his 
acquaintances, a mere cobbler, he said, "I would 



The Higher Life 171 



give all my knowledge to learn John Urick's secret 
of life." 

We turn, therefore, to the spiritual conception 
of life, which is the true one. Its definition is 
found in the words of Jesus, u This is life eternal, 
to know God." 

We were created in the likeness of God; and our 
life is bound to end in failure unless it brings us 
into harmony with him. To use the words of 
Augustine, "We came forth from God; and we 
shall ever be homesick until we return to him." 
This, then, is life: to be in perfect accord with 
God's plans and purposes concerning us. Its best 
expression is in the word "godliness"; that is, God- 
likeness. We are alienated from God by sin ; and 
the problem of all problems is, How to regain our 
lost estate and live the life which shall be pleasing 
to him ? 

The second question is, When does this life 
begin? 

It begins at the instant when a man comes into 
vital touch with God; that is, when he cuts loose 
from sin. For "without holiness no man shall see 
God." 

It is said of the prodigal who went away to the 
far country and wasted his substance in riotous 
living, that he "came to himself" at the moment 
when he said, "I will arise and go unto my father!" 
No man who is still wasting his substance in that 
far country has really begun to live; for sin is, 
in and of itself, the essence of spiritual death. 



172 The Home Sanctuary 



The sinner is said to be "dead in trespasses and 
sins." 

In the poem of "The Ancient Mariner 5 ' a pic- 
ture is presented of a ship manned by dead men, — 
a dead man at the wheel, dead men on the deck 
and in the shrouds, dead men everywhere. In like 
manner there are multitudes moving about our 
streets in sordid pursuits who have the semblance 
of life, but are spiritually dead. The possibility 
of life, however, is before them all. Its sole con- 
dition is that they shall return to God. 

And this return is through Christ. For we know 
God only as manifested in Christ, his only-begotten 
Son. In him is life; as he said, "I am come that 
ye might have life and that ye might have it more 
abundantly." And furthermore, "I am the way: 
no one cometh unto the Father but by me." To 
accept Christ, therefore, is to come into vital touch 
with God. And faith is the hand stretched forth 
to touch him. 

On one occasion Christ was asked, "How shall 
we work the works of God?" that is, works which 
shall commend us to him. His answer was, "This 
is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom 
he hath sent." Faith in Christ, then, is the one 
"good work" which brings a man into acceptance 
with God. 

But to receive Christ by faith means to make an 
absolute surrender to him. It was by such a sur- 
render that Paul entered into life. He says that, 
previous to His conversion, his morality had been 



The Higher Life 173 



above reproach; "I have lived in all good con- 
science unto this day." But the time came when, 
on his way to Damascus, clothed with authority as 
an inquisitor for the extirpation of the Christian 
church, he saw at high noon a light above the 
brightness of the sun and heard the voice of Jesus 
calling him. At that instant his life and character 
were revolutionized. All his prejudices were dissi- 
pated, so that, seeing Christ as very God of very 
God, he cried, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to 
do?" He then began to live. He had returned to 
God by way of Christ. He had made the great 
surrender. "What things were gain to me," he 
says, "these have I counted loss for Christ. Yea, 
verily, and I count all things to be but loss for the 
excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my 
Lord; for whom I suffered the loss of all things, 
and do count them but refuse that I may gain 
Christ and be found in him, not having a righteous- 
ness of mine own, which was of the Law, but that 
which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness 
which is from God by faith : that I may know him, 
and the power of his resurrection and the fellow- 
ship of his suffering, becoming conformed unto his 
death : if by any means I may attain unto the resur- 
rection from the dead." By which resurrection he 
clearly means the newness of life, which is here and 
now. 

The third question is, What follows? This is 
answered in the words, "For me to live is Christ." 
There is a world of meaning in that word "is." 



i74 The Home Sanctuary 



To undertake to analyze it would be like pulling 
apart a flower; one hesitates lest in the process its 
beauty be lost. But there are helpful suggestions 
in it. 

To begin with, it presupposes a knowing about 
Christ. But how is one to learn about him? He 
himself tells us: "Search the Scriptures ; for in 
them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are 
they which testify of me." In seeking information 
about Christ it is not safe to trust to hearsay, still 
less to form our impressions from the imperfect 
reflections of his life and character that are seen in 
those who profess to follow him. The best of 
Christians is only a stumbling sinner saved by 
grace. But the Bible speaks clearly respecting 
Christ; and it can be trusted, for it "was written 
by holy men as they were moved by the Spirit of 
God. 5 ' If one cares to know about the higher life, 
therefore, let him take down his dust-covered Bible 
and read it. And if, putting away the hoodwink 
of prejudice, he will read as one searching for hid- 
den treasure, he will surely find Christ, u chiefest 
among ten thousand and altogether lovely," walk- 
ing through its pages from beginning to end. 

But before one can say "For me to live is 
Christ" he must know him. To know him is more 
than to know about him. You may know all about 
Kaiser Wilhelm without ever having been intro- 
duced to him. To know Christ one must at least 
be on speaking terms with him. He solicits our 
friendship, as he says, "Behold, I stand at the 



The Higher Life 175 



door and knock ! If any man will open unto me, 
I will come in and sup with him and he with me." 
To let him in, and to cultivate his acquaintance 
while we sup together, this is to know him. Is our 
intimacy such that, meeting him in a strange place, 
we should recognize him? Do we know him so 
that if to-night we were called to go through the 
Valley of the Shadow his rod and staff would com- 
fort us? Do we know him so that at heaven's 
threshold his voice calling "Enter into the joy of 
thy Lord" would not seem like the voice of a 
stranger? Do we know him so that we can con- 
fidently say, "I know him in whom I have believed, 
and am persuaded that he is able to keep that 
which I have committed unto him against that 
day"? 

// means 9 moreover, that we believe Christ. One 
cannot be a Christian without receiving him as an 
authoritative teacher and taking him at his word. 
All controversies are to be settled by referring 
them to him. For example, the question of his 
Divinity must be determined by what he teaches 
about it ; and the question as to the inspiration and 
entire trustworthiness of the Scriptures must be 
answered in the same way. No matter what 
preachers or theological professors say, his word is 
for his followers the Court of Final Appeal. All 
his promises are to be taken at their face value; 
such as "Ask, and it shall be given unto you," and 
"Thy sins be forgiven thee." 

It means, still further, that we are to believe in 



176 The Home Sanctuary 



him. And to believe in him is immeasurably more 
than merely to believe him. I dare say everybody 
regards President Taft as a truthful man; but to 
believe in him means that one approves his policies 
and is ready to lend a helping hand to carry them 
out. So to believe in Christ is to assent to the 
proposition that he did what he came into the world 
to do; that is, "he bore our sins in his own body on 
the tree"; and going thus far we are bound, in 
common logic and consistency, to go farther and 
say, "My Lord, my Life, my Sacrifice, my Saviour, 
and my all!" 

One thing more is contained in those words "For 
me to live is Christ" ; namely, the handclasp. This 
means to enter into covenant with him. 

He extends his hand, a pierced hand, to every 
man, and the issues of life and death are in taking 
or refusing it. To clasp that hand is to seal the 
compact of life with him. It means that I take 
him to be my Saviour from sin, my Exemplar of 
character, my Lord and Master. At this point 
there can be no reservation. The clasping of hands 
means the blending of lives ; as Wesley said — 

This one thing I find, 
We two are so joined, 
He can't go to heaven 
And leave me behind. 

Thenceforth Christ is, as it were, one's alter ego. 
There is an engrafting such as is set forth in the 
Parable of the Vine and its Branches. We catch 



The Higher Life 177 



his Spirit, so that "the mind that was in Christ 
Jesus is also in us." It was thus that Luther was 
moved to say, "If you knock at my breast and ask 
'Who lives here ? Luther ?' my answer is, 'No ! 
Luther once lived here; but Christ came, and 
Luther moved out to make room for him. Now, 
I no longer live; but Christ liveth in me.' " And 
this is life — the life that is "hid with Christ in 
God." 

Have I clarified the text? The mysteries here 
are deep beyond all sounding. Paul's plummet 
could not fathom them. "I count not myself to 
have apprehended," he said, "but this one thing I 
do; I reach forth." He longed for, and expected 
to have, an ever broader, deeper apprehension of 
this mystical union of the soul with Christ. As 
life passed on he felt like a traveler in the Alps 
who, climbing higher and higher, sees ever new 
heights before him. But he reached forth. And 
he gloried in the thought, One day I shall 
know ! 

In the meantime this is certain : no man can form 
a just conception of the Spiritual Life until he 
enters it. To stand without and ask an explanation 
is like contemplating a painted window from the 
open street. Get into the sanctuary if you would 
have its beauty break upon you ! "He that doeth 
my will," said Jesus, "shall know the doctrine." It 
is as if he said, "Take my Hand, and I will lead 
you into life; and you shall see the mystery and 
the glory of it," 



178 The Home Sanctuary 



I do not know why my friend in Manchester did 
not finish the text: u For me to live is Christ — and 
to die is gain !" 

The world is seeking gain. The people who 
jostle us in the street are striving for it; gain of 
gold, of honor, of selfish emolument. To gain a 
little yellow dust that shall sift through the fingers 
at last ! These are gains that perish with the 
using. They end in loss. But the things that Paul 
counted u loss for Christ" were destined to be gain 
forever. For "what is a man profited, if he gain the 
whole world and forfeit his own self" — "Or what 
shall be lost if, losing the whole world, he gain 
it?" 

In the article of death, when earth's substance 
passes like the baseless fabric of a dream, then, says 
Paul, comes gain. Death itself is gain, because it 
introduces the soul to eternal life. 

Oh, what is that? I wish I knew. How easily 
we say it. "Eternal Life!" But who shall define 
it? Who shall explain it? 

Did you never look up at the stars and on 
through the interstellar spaces and wonder, "What 
is beyond?" So, dreaming dreams and seeing 
visions, we gaze through the promises that illumine 
the great mystery of death and wonder what eternal 
life shall be. "Now are we sons of God; but it 
doth not yet appear what we shall be." For "eye 
hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered 
into the heart of man, the things which God hath 
prepared for them that love him !" 



The Higher Life 179 



8. PRAYER 

I have heard thy voice, O Lord, calling me 
from sin to righteousness, from worldly sloth 
to faithful service, from the lonely bearing of 
burdens to the sharing of all burdens with 
thee. I would run to thee as little children 
come running to their mothers in trouble. I 
need thee. I have thee. In thee I am com- 
plete. Here let me rest and be thankful. 
Amen. 

9. HYMN: "Jesus calls us o'er the tumult." 

10. BENEDICTION 

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you 
through the knowledge of God and of Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen. 



FOURTEENTH SERVICE 



The Jubilee in the Father's House 

1. INVOCATION 

OLord, I do pray for a vision of heaven. 
Show me the Father's house. Let me 
hear the music and the merry-making there, 
so that I may more earnestly long and strive 
to enter in. I do not ask to be transported, 
but to be ready. Give me a foretaste of celes- 
tial joy, and help me to realize somewhat of 
heaven here and now ; for Jesus' sake. Amen. 

2. HYMN: u Nearer, my God, to thee." 

3. SCRIPTURE LESSON 

Isaiah 12. 
Revelation 7:9-17. 

4. PRAYER 

Who shall ascend unto thy holy hill, O 
Lord, or who shall stand in thy holy place? 
He that hath clean hands, a pure heart, and 
hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity. Alas, 
I am not worthy. Purge me with hyssop and 
I shall be clean ; wash me and I shall be whiter 
than snow. The blood of Christ cleanseth 
180 



The Jubilee in the Father's House 181 

from all sin: the blood of him who is thy 
well-beloved Son and my well-beloved 
Brother. Thou hast said, "He that believeth 
shall be saved." Lord, I believe. Now 
blessed be thy Name : my sins are gone. They 
are blotted out; aye, sunk in the depths of an 
unfathomable sea. Thou wilt remember them 
no more against me. For this I render thanks- 
giving, and by thy grace I will show my 
gratitude in a holier and more useful life. 
Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, 
my life, my all. If thou wouldst have me toil, 
I will toil more bravely; if thou wouldst have 
me suffer, I will suffer more patiently. Some- 
where in thy vineyard thou hast a place for 
me ; help me to find and fill it. Enable me to 
lend a hand in the great enterprises of thy 
Kingdom. Make me a missionary, at home 
or abroad, as to thee may seem well. If a mis- 
sionary within the four walls of a sick-cham- 
ber, so be it. I promise my best endeavor 
wherever thou wilt have me. Give me the 
spirit of the Evangel. Give me a consuming 
passion for souls. Help me in my own house 
to show what great things the Lord hath done 
for me. Bring me not to heaven alone. Oh, 
that among the redeemed there may be some 
who shall testify that I brought them to thee. 
And unto thy Name, blessed Redeemer, shall 
be everlasting praise. Amen. 



1 82 The Home Sanctuary 



5. HYMN: "Holy Spirit, faithful Guide !" 

6. OFFERING 

7. THE SERMON 

The Jubilee in the Father's House 

"There is joy in the presence of the angels of 
God over one sinner that repenteth." (Luke, 
15: 10.) 

A meeting of the Sanhedrin had recently oc- 
curred, in which there had been an earnest discus- 
sion respecting a certain Jesus, who claimed to be 
the Messiah. 

In favor of his claim there was this to be said: 
First: He had come at the right time. It had been 
prophesied, u The scepter shall not depart from 
Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, 
until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the obedi- 
ence of the people be." The scepter was trembling 
in the feeble hands of Judah, and expectancy was 
in the air. 

Secondly: This Jesus came from the right quar- 
ter. Bethlehem was his birthplace; and the 
prophecy ran, "Thou, Bethlehem Ephrata, which 
are little to be among the thousands of Judah, out 
of thee shall one come forth that is to be ruler in 
Israel; whose goings forth are from of old, from 
everlasting." (Micah 5:2.) 

Thirdly: He was also of the proper lineage; 
that is, of the seed of David. One of the most fa- 
miliar of the Messianic titles was "Son of David." 



The Jubilee in the Father's House 183 



Fourthly : The character of the claimant was be- 
yond reproach. His challenge was "Which of you 
convicteth me of sin?" And thus far it had been 
impossible to prove any sin in him. 

Fifthly: His work was precisely such as might 
be expected of the Messiah. He had gone about 
preaching on the great problems of eternal life; and 
though he was but a carpenter, with no diploma 
from the schools, all were agreed as to the sim- 
plicity and power of his words. And along with 
his preaching he had wrought such miracles of heal- 
ing that the people were moved to say, as with one 
consent, "Will Messiah, when he cometh, do 
greater works than these?" 

On the other hand, there were, from the stand- 
point of the religious leaders, some insuperable ob- 
jections to the acknowledgment of the Messianic 
claim of Jesus. 

First: He was a man of the people; and his im- 
mediate body-guard, the twelve disciples, were per- 
sons of no social or ecclesiastical standing, being 
chosen from the working class. 

Secondly: He had set himself in distinct opposi- 
tion to the rites and ceremonies of the Jewish faith 
as they were superficially observed at the time; and 
he had criticised "the traditions of the elders" as 
a mischievous addition to the Word of God. Not 
only so: he had denounced the priests themselves, 
on more than one occasion, in most uncompromis- 
ing terms; such as, "Woe unto you, scribes and 
Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye are like unto whited 



184 The Home Sanctuary 



sepulchers, which outwardly appear beautiful, but 
inwardly are full of dead men's bones and all un- 
cleanness." It was scarcely to be expected that the 
leaders whom he thus characterized would favor 
his claims as the long-expected Messiah. 

Thirdly: and most important of all, he was "a 
friend of publicans and sinners" He had chosen 
the well-known tax collector of the toll booth at 
Capernaum to be one of his immediate friends and 
disciples. He had announced that the Jews were 
no longer to be the chosen people, but that the Gen- 
tiles were henceforth to be received into Divine 
favor on equal terms. He had made a missionary 
journey into Samaria among the mixed peoples. 
He had gone on into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon 
and preached to the barbarians, and had announced 
that the benefits of his work were for all sorts and 
conditions of men. 

The meeting of the Sanhedrin referred to was 
destined to be momentous in its results. The mem- 
bers present were agreed that something must be 
done to arrest the popularity of this Jesus of Naz- 
areth; for wherever he went the common people 
heard him gladly and followed him in crowds. "I 
have heard," said one, "that he recently dined with 
a publican and said, 'This day is salvation come to 
this house.' " — "It is reported," said another, "that 
he was seen recently conversing with a woman of 
the town at the village well of Sychar, and that at 
high noon!" — "I was present," said another, 
"when he permitted a woman of like character to 



The Jubilee in the Father's House 185 



anoint his feet with precious nard; and he said to 
her, 'Go in peace; thy sins be forgiven thee.' " But 
there was one in that distinguished council who 
would not consent that the claims of Jesus should 
be repudiated without a fair hearing and due con- 
sideration. It was the learned Gamaliel, known 
as u the Flower of the Law." It was he perhaps 
who suggested that a delegation should be sent to 
hear and report upon the preaching of Jesus. 

It was after the Feast of Dedication, and Jesus 
was preaching in Perea, east of the Jordan. His 
congregation was a singular one. "All the publi- 
cans and sinners were drawing near unto him to 
hear him." The delegation of the Sanhedrin 
stood and heard him discourse on "The Seeking 
God." 

He told of a woman who, having lost a coin, 
searched in every nook and cranny until she found 
it, and then called together her friends and neigh- 
bors, saying, "Rejoice with me, for I have found 
the lost!" — "So," said the preacher, "does the 
seeking God rejoice with his angels over every 
penitent sinner." 

They heard him tell of a shepherd who went 
out into the mountains after a lost sheep and sought 
until he found it; and when he had brought it home 
upon his shoulders he called together his friends 
and neighbors, saying, "Rejoice with me, for I have 
found the lost!" And this, said the preacher, is 
the seeking God, who rejoices with his angels over 
every penitent sinner. 



1 86 The Home Sanctuary 



And they heard him tell of a father, whose 

younger son had gone into a far country and wasted 
his substance in riotous living, and when the son 
returned in poverty and rags he was received by 
this father with joy, who called in his friends and 
neighbors, saying, "Let us eat and be merry; for 
this my son was dead and is alive again: he was 
lost and is found!" And this again, said the 
preacher, is the seeking God, w T ho rejoices over 
every sinner returning from the error of his ways. 

We have no means of knowing how the dele- 
gates of the Sanhedrin were impressed by this dis- 
course. But to us it seems to throw a wonderful 
light on the greatness and goodness of God. 

Let those who would know God look in at this 
window. It is the father of the prodigal who pre- 
sides at the feast. It is he who called the guests 
together, saying, "Rejoice with me." If the others 
rejoice, he still more. This is his house, his table, 
his jubilee, his son welcomed back from the far 
country of sin. 

Job saw God sitting upon the circle of the uni- 
verse, calling into being the things that are out of 
those that were not. 

Moses heard him at Sinai, speaking from the 
flaming mountain as the God of law and justice, 
w T ho is "a consuming fire." 

Isaiah had a vision of him sitting on a throne 
high and lifted up with the seraphim all about him 
calling to one another, "Holy, holy, holy is the 
Lord of Hosts!" 



The Jubilee in the Father's House 187 

John the Evangelist portrayed him enthroned 
in heaven, with a rainbow round about him 
"in sight like unto an emerald," lamps of fire 
burning before him, and an innumerable company 
of angels and archangels prostrating themselves in 
worship, saying, "Thou art worthy to receive glory 
and honor and power !" 

But here is the picture of God as a Father, as 
"Our Father." How near it brings him to the 
children of men ! He is the God of love. He is 
the God whose hands are stretched out. He is 
the seeking God, who protests, "As I live, I have 
no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that 
all should turn unto me and live ! Turn ye, turn 
ye: for why will ye die?" He is the God of the 
Gospel, who goes forth "to seek and to save." He 
is the God of Calvary, where his overtures of 
mercy are expressed in the terms, "Look unto me, 
and be ye saved all ye ends of the earth!" 

And in this wonderful sermon in Perea, we have 
also a blessed side-light into the life and character 
of the angels. For at the table in the father's 
house, where the prodigal was welcomed, were 
gathered not kinsfolk only but neighbors as well. 

It is little that we know of the angels; but it 
seems clear that they are of a different order from 
the children of men. We are "of one blood," but 
they seem to have been created one by one. The 
song of our childhood, "I want to be an angel, and 
with the angels stand," expresses an impossible 
wish. We can never belong to that race of sinless 



1 88 The Home Sanctuary 



beings; but we can join the ranks of the saints tri- 
umphant, who "stand nearer than they," and sing 
the song of Him who has "redeemed them by His 
blood and made them to be kings and priests unto 
God." 

One thing is clear: the angels are deeply con- 
cerned in the welfare of this world of ours. At its 
creation they shouted for joy. At the Incarnation 
of Christ they sang, "Glory to God in the highest, 
and on earth peace among men in whom he is well 
pleased." His sepulcher was encompassed by le- 
gions of them, one of whom rolled away the stone. 
And when he ascended from Olivet, they thronged 
his chariot and bore him aloft to "the glory which 
he had with the Father before the world was." 

Nor is their interest confined to the earthly min- 
istry of Christ. The doctrine of guardian angels is 
little dwelt on nowadays ; but great truth and com- 
fort are found in it. The mothers are right when 
they sing, "Hush, my babe: lie still and slumber, 
holy angels guard thy bed." The teaching of the 
Scriptures is clear: "He shall give his angels charge 
concerning thee ; and on their hands they shall bear 
thee up, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone." 

It was an angel that directed Hagar and her 
famishing child to a spring of water. It was a 
troop of angels that thronged the ladder which 
Jacob saw on the heights of Bethel. It was an 
angel that went before Israel in the Wilderness, to 
point the way. It was an angel that came to Peter 
in prison and broke his chains. And there is re- 



The Jubilee in the Father's House 189 

joicing among the angels over all who return from 
sin. They sit at the great Jubilee. "The tears of 
penitents,'' says Bernard, u are the wine of angels." 
Here is a blessed truth, which brings heaven near 
to earth. "We have more servants to wait upon 
us," says George Herbert, "than we are willing to 
take notice of." 

And, further, we have here an illuminating in- 
timation as to our kinsfolk gone before us. The 
family sit at a table in the father's house. 

The fact that there is no mention of any mother 
in the Parable of the Prodigal's Return, lends a 
touch of pathos to it. Perhaps she was in heaven, 
there praying for him. Thanks be to God for our 
mother's prayers! In one of our Fulton Street 
meetings a man arose and said, "I have been a 
gambler and a very wicked man ; but there has not 
been a day for ten years that I have not known that 
my mother was praying for me. It is her prayers 
that have brought me here a penitent to-day." 

Of this we may be sure. Those who have gone 
before us to the Father's house know what is trans- 
piring here below. So much is made plain by the 
fact that Moses and Elijah, one of whom had been 
dead a thousand years and the other fifteen hun- 
dred, came down together to talk with Jesus on the 
Mount of Transfiguration concerning his approach- 
ing death. They not only knew each other, but they 
knew what was taking place in the world and were 
deeply concerned in it. 

And, going a step farther, we may say that if 



190 The Home Sanctuary 

our loved ones in heaven are aware of what is go- 
ing on here, they are surely praying for our salva- 
tion. In one of our familiar hymns there is a ref- 
erence to the Christian's death, in which he is rep- 
resented as saying, "Farewell, farewell, sweet hour 
of prayer!" I do not believe that we shall ever 
bid farewell to prayer, except as certain of our 
prayers are weak and foolish and inconsistent with 
our Father's will. In heaven we shall be pray- 
ing still for those w T e have left behind us. How 
could it be otherwise, if we remember and love 
them? Is it not written, "Are they not all min- 
istering spirits, sent forth to minister unto them that 
are heirs of salvation?" It is a blessed thought 
that we shall be contributing thus to the welfare of 
our friends and joining our supplications to those 
of the great Mediator who ever liveth to make in- 
tercession for us. 

And what must be the rejoicing of these saints 
triumphant when their friends are gathered in! 
How the major note must ring through their songs 
at the Jubilee in the Father's house ! And what a 
welcome to the saved as they come thronging 
through the gates ! 

Many of us remember when the rescued passen- 
gers of the Republic came in at the White Star 
docks. What an ovation they received! The 
street was thronged with people who peered into 
the faces of the rescued as they came down the 
gang-plank one by one. There was much shouting 
and vociferous rejoicing; but those who were most 



The Jubilee in the Father's House 191 

deeply interested greeted their friends with silent 
joy. Happy, happy kinsfolk who thus met their 
loved ones ! 

I like to think of heaven in this way. It is not 
merely a place of songs and litanies. The joy of 
"the home-bringing" is there, u the knitting 
severed friendships up." It is home, sweet 
home. 

And, further still, a wonderful light is thrown in 
this picture on the heavenly felicity of sinners saved 
by grace. In that Jubilee in the Father's house, 
who is so happy as the prodigal himself ? See him 
at the table — who so recently sat famishing in the 
swine-field — clad in the best robe, with shoes on 
his feet and wearing the signet ring. His heart is 
filled with rejoicing, because the past is forgiven 
and a new life is before him. 

In the International Salon of '62 were two pic- 
tures. One was called "Waiting for the Verdict." 
The scene was in court, with the prisoner standing 
at the bar; in the foreground a woman, in an agony 
of suspense, with one child sleeping on her bosom 
and another tugging at her dress ; the grandmother 
near by, with a baby in her arms; a dog looking up 
and wondering. The other picture was entitled 
"The Acquittal." The same group of people were 
there ; but the man who stood in the prisoner's dock 
now has his arms about his wife; the grandmother 
is holding up the baby to be kissed; the dog is lick- 
ing his master's hands. Why this change? The 
man had been acquitted! All heaven is full of sin- 



192 The Home Sanctuary 

ners saved by grace; and every one of them has a 
heart throbbing with gratitude to the Saviour, who 
died that they might live. 

I wonder if the men charged by the Sanhedrin to 
report upon the teaching of Jesus went back with 
any such picture in their minds? Did they catch 
a glimpse through the window into the joy of the 
Father's house? Did they return, like the band of 
officers charged with a similar errand, saying, 
"Never man spake like this man"? How could 
they or their masters resist the logic of such preach- 
ing? The charge against Jesus was that he was "a 
friend of publicans and sinners." Blessed be God ! 
This is the very demonstration of his Messianic 
claims. And he is still the friend of publicans and 
sinners. He seeks that he may save. He searches 
on the dark mountains for the lost ones, and 
brings them home rejoicing. He sets the harps 
of heaven ringing with the music of redemption. 
"Another sinner saved!" Break forth into joy, 
O angels and saints triumphant! Give welcome 
to the lost that is found, to the dead that is alive 
again ! 

But if God, angels and saints triumphant are so 
deeply concerned in our Welfare, how is it that some 
among us are unconcerned ? Marvel of all marvels ; 
the prodigal cares not! Let him listen until he 
hears the sound of music and of dancing; let the 
music of the Jubilee meet the longing of his hungry 
soul until he can tarry no longer but also be moved 
to say, "I, too, will arise and go." 



The Jubilee in the Father's House 193 

8. PRAYER 

I thank thee, O Lord, for prophecies of 
heaven's joy. And I thank thee for heavenly 
fruits that grow along the earthly pathway. 
Help me to rejoice in thee while living here 
below, that my voice may be attuned to celes- 
tial praise; for thy name's sake. Amen. 

9. HYMN: "I'm a pilgrim." 

10. BENEDICTION 

The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. 
Grace be with thee. Amen. 



FIFTEENTH SERVICE 

The Timid Soul 

i. INVOCATION 

T love thee, O Lord, because thou hast 



Thou hast delivered mine eyes from tears, my 
feet from falling, and my soul from death; 
wherefore I call upon my soul and all that is 
within me to bless thy holy name. Help me 
now to worship thee aright and pray accept- 
ably; in Jesus' name. Amen. 

2. HYMN : "Come, let us join our cheerful 

songs." 

3. SCRIPTURE LESSON 

Psalm 56. 
Ephesians 6:10-18. 

4. PRAYER 

I thank thee, O Lord, for thy Sabbath. 
Help me to remember that thou hast hallowed 
it. Thou knowest how the world encroaches 
upon my time ; wherefore thou hast set apart 
one day in seven for the soul. Help me, 
therefore, to leave the low valleys of secular 
care, and come up into the Mountain of the 
Lord to breathe the clear air with thee. Give 




voice and my supplication. 



194 



The Timid Soul 



195 



me a foretaste of the eternal Sabbath which 
thou hast prepared for thy people. Forbid 
that I should rest in indolence. Help me to 
rest, rather, in service. For there is no joy 
like growing weary for thee. I know that 
thy saying, u The Sabbath was made for man," 
did not mean for carnal, sordid, self-seeking 
man, but for one made in thy likeness and 
made to live forever. Help me so to improve 
the high privileges and opportunities of this 
holy-day that I may grow in spiritual stature 
and become a little more worthy of thy grace. 
Help me to search the Scriptures to-day, so 
that I may find hidden treasures there. Help 
me to observe the duty of secret prayer; and 
when I enter into my closet and close the door 
may I find thee there before me. Bless those 
who gather in the courts where thine honor 
dwelleth; and let the preaching of thy Word 
be followed by an ingathering of souls. Bless 
the missionaries of the Cross. How beauti- 
ful upon the mountains are the feet of those 
who bring good tidings and publish peace! 
Follow their message with thy benediction, O 
Lord ; and let those who stumble in the night 
of paganism be inclined to run unto thee. 
Show forth thy salvation in all the earth. 
Hasten the time when the clouds of heaven 
shall part asunder, and thy waiting people 
shall cry, u The Lord cometh!" Then shalt 
thou have the heathen for thine inheritance 



196 The Home Sanctuary 



and the uttermost part of the earth for thy 
possession. This I ask, with all needed bless- 
ings and above all the pardon of sin; for thy 
worthy Name's sake. Amen. 

5. HYMN: "Jesus, and shall it ever be?" 

6. OFFERING 

7. THE SERMON 

The Timid Soul 

"What time I am afraid I will put my trust 
in thee." (Psalm 56: 3.) 

Who's afraid? Not David, surely. Not the 
David who in his boyhood, while protecting his 
flock, went down into the pit on a snowy day 
against both lion and bear. Not the ruddy youth 
who, in the valley of Elah, went out against the 
Philistine champion with no weapon but a sling 
and five smooth stones from the brook. Not the 
famous Captain who had led the armies of Israel 
against the Gerzites and Geshurites and Amalekites 
and Jerahmeelites and Kenites and scattered them 
like leaves before an autumn storm. Aye, the very 
same ! It is he who says, "What time I am afraid, 
I will put my trust in thee." 

What had happened? What had so loosened 
the joints of his courage that he should make this 
humiliating confession? Ah, constant dropping 
wears aw T ay the rock. He had been hunted on the 
mountains so long that all courage had oozed out 



The Timid Soul 



197 



of him. By nature brave as a lion, he had been 
outlawed and pursued until he became as timid as 
a fawn. The rustle of a leaf startled him; the 
crackling of twigs sourtded like the rattle of steel 
against the greaves of armed men. He had been 
chased from Naioth to the tabernacle at Nob, 
where even the horns of the altar could not protect 
him: from Nob to Gath, in the heart of Philistia, 
where he had feigned insanity in vain; and from 
Gath to the mountains again, where, in the shelter 
of the cave of Adullam, he came to himself and 
wrote u the Golden Psalm. " He had forgotten 
God : he now remembered him. The echoes of the 
lonely rocks responded to his harp, while he sang, 
"What time I am afraid, I will put my trust in 
thee!" 

But "who's afraid?" This is what boys say 
when going through a graveyard at night or rob- 
bing an orchard: "Who's afraid?" You and I; 
everybody is afraid. We are only "whistling to 
keep our courage up." The older we grow the 
greater cowards we are. Experience teaches. 
Children thrust their fingers into the coals, but a 
"burned child dreads the fire." As the years pass 
we realize that we are compassed by dangers. 
There are arrows flying by day; in the darkness 
the pestilence walks. Wherefore fear is the uni- 
versal passion. All are not afraid of the same 
thing. Napoleon did not shrink from the em- 
battled front of the Allied Powers, but he trembled 
when obliged to sleep alone; Wellington was not 



198 The Home Sanctuary 



afraid of Napoleon, but he so dreaded pain that 
he dared not snuff a candle. 

It is the things which are unseen that most 
affright us. A cat has no terrors for its youthful 
owner, until he sees its two eyes glaring at him in 
the dark. We live on the borders of the unseen 
world; and out of the invisible emerges a proces- 
sion of specters that constantly appal us. 

I. There , to begin with, is the specter of God — 
a false god, like Siva with a hundred hands, each 
holding a thunderbolt. It is a fearful thing to fall 
into the hands of such a god. 

The antidote for this fear is in finding the true 
God ; the God who is revealed in Christ as his only- 
begotten Son. He came into the world to tell us 
how to approach God with that love which casteth 
out fear; and he did this in the words, "When 
ye pray, say 'Our Father.' " It is because of our 
misconception of God that we flee from him, as 
Adam did when he heard his voice in the Garden 
calling "Where art thou?" To know God is life 
eternal; more than that, it is strength, comfort, 
and hope; it is all that makes life worth living. 
Find God, therefore; and finding, trust in him. 
Augustine wrote "Art thou afraid of God? Fly 
to his arms!" 

II. The next of the specters, emerging from the 
unknown, is Man. Challenge him, like a sentinel 
on guard: "Who comes here — friend or foe?" 
It matters little, however, whether he be friend or 
foe. "Put not thy trust in man." 



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199 



David suffered many things because of his 
enemies. He complained that they "compassed 
him about like bees." But vastly more was he 
troubled by the treachery of those who professed 
to be his friends : Saul, and Achish, and Doeg the 
Edomite who betrayed him at Nob, and Shimei 
who, having flourished on his bounty, turned upon 
him in adversity and threw stones from behind a 
wall. Little wonder that David grew bitter at the 
thought. On his famous saying, "I said, in my 
haste, all men are liars," Bishop Hall remarks, 
u He said this in his haste; but with larger experi- 
ence he might have said it at his leisure." Alas for 
those who, having known the instability of friend- 
ship, have lost confidence in human nature ! "The 
fear of man bringeth a snare." It disables us for 
the cheerful tasks and obligations of life. 

The antidote is in finding the "Right Man." 
And this we do when we make the acquaintance of 
Christ. Luther sings — 

Did we In our own strength confide, 

Our striving would be losing; 
Were not the right man on our side, 

The man of God's own choosing, 
Dost ask who that may be? 
Christ Jesus, it is he! 

He is the trustworthy friend; the friend on whom 
all can most safely lean. Trusting in him, we may 
say, "I will not fear what man can do unto me." 

III. Out of the invisible comes also the shadowy 
figure of the Prince of the Power of the Air. Do 



loo The Home Sanctuary 



not smile at the suggestion. They are cowards who 
speak with levity or bravado of hell and the devil. 
The time comes inevitably when they shake like an 
aspen at the things they once laughed at. 

You say you do not believe in the personality of 
Satan? Then you must needs take issue with the 
Bible; for the Bible is full of it. Read the story of 
the temptation of Adam, the temptation of Job, 
the temptation of Jesus in the Wilderness. To 
deny the personality of the Evil One is to set one's 
self against the clear teaching of Christ himself. 
Not only so, it is to deny the voice of personal ex- 
perience. Does temptation spring up out of the 
ground? Is there in your case no allurement to 
sin? 

The antidote of this fear is in knowing Christ, 
the Giver of all grace. He said to Peter in view 
of his approaching temptation: "Simon, Simon, 
Satan asked to have you, that he may sift you as 
wheat; but I made supplication for thee that thy 
faith fail not!" To know that Christ is on my 
side, the interceding Christ, and to rest in the 
power of his intercession, is to pluck up courage 
which defies the Prince of the Power of the Air. 

IV. The next of the shadows issuing from the 
darkness is my own worst enemy } to wit, Myself. 

The severest conflict that a true man ever has is 
with his own worse nature. The war of all wars 
is the "war in my members." My meaner self, the 
self that clamors for the gratification of all baser 
passions and exults over the death of high purpose 



The Timid Soul 



201 



and holy aspirations, this is the wrestler with the 
underhold who gives me the grapple of my life. 

Paul was a brave man. As a prisoner he stood 
before earthly courts and courageously held his 
own. Mobs had no terror for him; he did not 
blanch in the presence of his executioner. The 
only man of whom Paul was afraid was Saul of 
Tarsus — the "old man," the carnal man, with 
whom he was ever at odds. 

The antidote of this fear is to know Christ, the 
Giver of the helping hand. Self-confidence is like 
the paper helmet of Don Quixote, which was 
pierced and as often repaired with needle and 
thread. Resolution is a broken reed. But "I can 
do all things through Christ who strengthened! 
me." 

It was self-confidence in Peter that moved him to 
say, "Lord, bid me come unto thee on the water." 
It was the disappointment that comes to all self- 
confident men that moved him to cry, when sinking, 
"Lord, save, or I perish !" It was the Hope of the 
World that stretched out a hand to save him. 
Blessed is he who has discovered the secret of con- 
quest in this: "My grace is sufficient for thee!" 

V. The next of the specters is stern-faced Duty. 

"Go to Nineveh!" said God to Jonah; and 
Jonah, being afraid, fled to Tarshish from the face 
of God. "Go anoint Hazael to be king of Syria !" 
said God to Elijah; and Elijah trembled at the 
command and betook himself to the lonely shadow 
of the juniper-tree. Every hour of life has its own 



202 The Home Sanctuary 



injunction; and the response of the natural heart 
is, "Turn aside and take thine ease." Thus life 
ends in failure ; yet there is no failure but the shirk- 
ing of one's task. 

The antidote of this fear is in knowing Christ as 
our Comrade. He never asks me to discharge a 
duty by myself. I do not preach alone : he stands 
beside me. I do not pray alone : he kneels beside 
me. The sum total of life's duties is comprehended 
in the commission at Olivet: "All authority hath 
been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go 
ye, therefore; and, lo, I am with you alway, even 
unto the end of the world!" Why should I shrink 
from the heaviest cross? "What time I am afraid, 
I will put my trust in thee." 

VI. The next of the specters is Adversity. 

We are afraid of the future, because no man 
knows what the morrow may bring forth. It may 
be a day of sorrow and disappointment. Or per- 
haps the shadows are already over me. I am even 
now walking through the Vale of Baca, crying at 
every step "Why?" and "Wherefore?" And 
there is no voice nor answer nor any that regard- 
eth. I sit like Job among the ruins of my pros- 
perity, fearing and trembling, not knowing how or 
when the next blow may fall. 

The antidote is found in the acquaintance of 
Christ as our fellow-sufferer. He is the High- 
priest who can be deeply touched with a feeling of 
our infirmities. His gospel gives us the only ex- 
planation of the discipline of affliction. If we 



The Timid Soul 203 



suffer with him, we shall be glorified with him and 
reign with him. 

Merciful One! 

When men are farthest, then thou art most near ; 
When friends pass by, my weakness shun, 
Thy chariot I hear. 

Thy glorious face 
Is beaming towards me, and its holy light 
Shines in upon my lonely dwelling-place, 

And there is no more night. 

On my bended knee 
I recognize thy purpose, clearly shown; 
My vision thou hast dimmed, that I may see 

Thyself, thyself alone. 

1 have naught to fear; 

This darkness is the shadow of thy wing; 
Beneath it I am almost sacred; here 
Can come no evil thing. 

I seem to stand 
Trembling, where foot of mortal ne'er hath been, 
Wrapped in the radiance of the sinless land, 

Which eye hath never seen. 

VII. Now comes the King of Terrors, riding 
on his pale horse, a gruesome and commanding 
figure among the shadows of the invisible world. 

Am I afraid? Christ himself was afraid to die. 
He, being bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, 
shrank from the purple cup that was put to his lips 
under the olive trees. Every nerve and sinew quiv- 
ered as he cried, "O my Father, if it be possible let 
this cup pass from me!" It is not to our discredit 



204 The Home Sanctuary 



that we also fear and tremble in the presence of the 
grim messenger who calls us to pass into the infinite 
with closed eyes. 

The antidote is in the acquaintance of this 
Christ, who in dying plucked the sting of death. 
He, as our representative, overcame the fear of 
death in Gethsemane when he cried, u Thy will be 
done!" And he plucked its sting when, on the 
cross, he made atonement for our sins. As it is 
written, "The sting of death is sin; and the power 
of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, which 
giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus 
Christ !" 

"And after death the Judgment." A troop of 
dim figures are gathering in the Valley of Decision. 
Just behold that number, from every graveyard! 
For the earth and the sea shall give up their dead; 
and all shall stand before the throne to be judged 
for the deeds done in the body: 

Great God, what do I see and hear? 

The end of things created ; 
The Judge of man I see appear 

On clouds of glory seated. 
The trumpet sounds ; the graves restore 
The dead which they contained before ; 
Prepare, my soul, to meet him! 

But w T hy shall they be afraid of the Judgment, 
who have an almighty Advocate with the Father? 

Jesus, thy blood and righteousness 
My beauty are, my glorious dress; 
'Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed, 
With joy shall I lift up my head. 



The Timid Soul 



205 



He stretches forth his wounded hands to plead 
my cause; he speaks the word of pardon there 
for me. 

Christ, then, is the Antidote of every fear. His 
throne is at the center of that world of the un- 
known which so terrifies me. He is for me the 
"Death of death and hell's destruction." No 
storm shall affright me; because, as the sailor in 
mid ocean says, "If I sink, I can but sink into the 
hollow of his hand." 

Here, then, is our conclusion: "Perfect love 
casteth out fear." We praise thee, O God. We 
acknowledge thee to be the Lord. O Lord, in thee 
have I trusted. Let me never be confounded! 

His word is an arsenal of "Fear nots." He 
comes in the tempest, saying, "Fear not, it is I!" 
He comes in death, and we answer, "I will fear no 
evil; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." His 
great bequest is a promise that serves as an invul- 
nerable defense against all arrows: "Peace I leave 
with you; my peace I give unto you: not as the 
world giveth give I unto you. Let not your heart 
be troubled; neither let it be afraid." 
8. PRAYER 

In thee, O Lord, have I put my trust ; of 
whom shall I be afraid? When I am weak, 
then am I strong, because thy power resteth 
upon me. Gird me with truth, crown me with 
the helmet of thy salvation, and give me the 
fearlessness of an unwavering faith; for 
Christ's sake. Amen, 



206 The Home Sanctuary 

9. HYMN : " Awake, my soul, stretch every 

nerve." 

10. BENEDICTION 

Now the God of peace, that brought again 
from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great 
Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of 
the everlasting covenant, make you perfect 
in every good work to do his will, working in 
you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, 
through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for 
ever and ever. Amen. 



SIXTEENTH SERVICE 



Assurance 

1. INVOCATION 

/invoke thy presence, O Lord, and en- 
treat thy blessing; for, without thee, this 
would be a barren hour. Show thy face and 
manifest thy mercy unto me. Help me to 
forget the world and commune with thee ; for 
the Redeemer's sake. Amen. 

2. HYMN : "From every stormy wind that 

blows." 

3. SCRIPTURE LESSON 

1 Kings 17 :i-6. 
John 10:1-33. 

4. PRAYER 

I thank thee, O God, for thy most blessed 
Word, wherein thou hast unveiled thyself and 
made known the riches of thy grace. Thou 
hast not left me like a shipwrecked mariner, 
drifting on a boundless sea. Blessed be thy 
Name, I have a chart and compass to sail by. 
Bring to naught, I pray thee, all the plans and 
purposes of those who would destroy the con- 
fidence of thy people in thy sacred Word. I 



207 



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know it was written by holy men as they were 
moved by thy Spirit; for thou hast so assured 
me. I take it gladly, therefore, and confi- 
dently as my infallible rule of faith and prac- 
tice; and by thy grace I will shape my life and 
character by it. I thank thee, also, for thine 
Incarnate Word. Help me ever to be true 
to Christ, who gave himself for me. May I 
never refuse or hesitate to follow him wher- 
ever his footsteps lead me. Give me his gen- 
tle Spirit, his patience in suffering, his cour- 
age in the presence of duty, his hatred of sin 
and love of righteousness, his unwearying zeal 
in doing good, his passion for souls. Help 
me to believe so confidently in his ultimate 
triumph that I shall count it my highest honor 
to have part in it. Make me a participant in 
the work of his Kingdom on earth. Bless all 
evangelistic efforts: city missions, home mis- 
sions, foreign missions; Lord, bless them all. 
And bless the workers — those who go forth 
with weeping, bearing precious seed. Thou 
hast said they shall come again with rejoicing 
bringing their sheaves with them. Oh, speed 
the day when all heaven shall raise the song 
of harvest home, because the last sinner shall 
have been converted unto thee. Then shall the 
w T hole earth be full of thy glory as the waters 
cover the sea. And to thy Name, blessed 
Saviour, shall praise be given through all ages. 
Amen. 



Assurance 



209 



5. HYMN : "When I survey the wondrous 

Cross." 

6. OFFERING 

7. THE SERMON 

Assurance 

"I know him whom I have believed, and am 
persuaded that he is able to guard that which I 
have committed unto him against that day." 
(2 Tim. 1 : 12.) 

An old man is writing to a young man. The 
old man, Paul, is a prisoner at Rome; the young 
man, Timothy, is pastor of the church at Ephesus. 
The old man and the young man have been friends 
for years. The old man's race is almost run: at 
any moment he may hear the footfall of the exe- 
cutioner in the corridor of his jail; the young man 
has the bright prospect of life before him. The 
old man has had an eventful story, "in labors more 
abundantly, in stripes above measure, in prisons 
more abundantly, in deaths oft." Yet he makes no 
complaint; on the contrary, in this letter he strikes 
the major chord. He affirms that he has no doubt 
as to the credentials of his faith. "I know" is his 
word ; and blessed is the man who can echo it ! He 
says he is "not ashamed of the Gospel." By all the 
analogies of human experience he should have been 
ashamed of it; for the Gospel was in the pillory. 
The Jews hated it and the Greeks reviled it; but 
what cared Paul? He knew that it was "the power 



2io The Home Sanctuary 



of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." 
And he says, furthermore, that, though compassed 
about by dangers, he is without fear, because the 
Lord is in covenant to "deliver him from every 
evil work." Not in doubt, not ashamed and not 
afraid! Loud boasting this; but Paul gives his 
reasons. Here they are: "I know him whom I 
have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to 
guard that which I have committed unto him 
against that day." 

The secret of Assurance is in these words. 

If a man goes up a mile in an airship, everybody 
says, "That machine is worth looking into." But 
here we have a compendium of truth by which Paul 
was enabled to soar aloft and breathe the clear at- 
mosphere of heaven for a lifetime! This surely 
will repay examination. Let us proceed, therefore, 
to take it apart : 

The first thing we come upon is a singular word, 
paratheke. It requires seven words to translate it 
into English; "that which I have committed unto 
him" : literally, a trust or deposit. 

But what is this deposit which Paul has "com- 
mitted unto Christ"? Is he referring to his soul? 
Not if we are to understand by the soul a detach- 
able something or other which a man carries about 
him. To say that a man "has a soul" is the pagan 
way of putting it. The Persians thought of man 
as a dual personality. On one of their ancient 
monuments is an image of Darius with a dim, 
winged figure hovering over him. This is Darius 



Assurance 



211 



and his soul, or fravashi, as they called it. All that 
Darius needed was to commit his soul to Ormuzd, 
and having thus secured its eternal welfare, he, the 
other Darius, could live on and reign as he pleased 
here below. 

The same philosophy is prevalent in some quar- 
ters in our time ; the soul being regarded as a sort 
of "astral personality," which subsists in a man and 
goes on living after he himself is dead. 

But this is not the philosophy of Christ. He 
never taught about the soul or thought of it in that 
way. His great saying, "What shall it profit a 
man if he gain the whole world and lose his own 
soul?" is rendered in the Revised Version, "What 
shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and 
lose his life?" And this is as it should be; for 
Christ regarded a man as an immortal unit. 

And so did Paul. The deposit, or paratheke of 
which he speaks, is the sum total of all that consti- 
tutes "life." It includes time and talents, influence, 
character, knowledge, possessions, privileges, des- 
tiny, everything that enters into the sum of life. 
This is what is meant by the deposit ; the aggregate 
of all things that make me. 

The second thought which is made prominent in 
the text is that this deposit is in danger, 

Paul thinks of himself as a man going through a 
dangerous country beset by enemies on every hand. 
The question is, how to safeguard himself until he 
reaches his destination; and his destination is indi- 
cated in the phrase "that day." 



2i2 The Home Sanctuary 



We are all, in like manner, journeying through 
the Land of Sin. We are waylaid by temptation 
on every side. What does the adversary want? 
My soul? No: he wants me. 

In 1846 a Polish patriot, named Piotrowski, 
made his escape from Siberia, where he had been 
for years a prisoner in chains. He had been ap- 
prised of the fact that France was in sympathy with 
Poland; and he knew that if he could present his 
case in the Corps Legislatif, which was in session at 
Paris, he would be vindicated. On making his es- 
cape he betook himself to the Ural Mountains, 
where for a weary year he endured cold, hunger 
and all manner of hardships; but, pushing on 
through frontier towns and outposts, hiding, flee- 
ing, pursued by men and beasts, he reached Paris at 
last and was free. 

So says Paul, "In journeyings often, in perils of 
rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my coun- 
trymen, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the 
city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, 
in perils among false brethren, in labor and travail, 
in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fasting 
often, in cold and nakedness; troubled on every 
side, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in des- 
pair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but 
not destroyed;' 5 I go pressing on, ever pressing on 
in the hope of reaching the great Assize and stand- 
ing before the just Judge in that day. 

The third thought of our text is that Paul's As- 
surance was due to the fact that he had entrusted 



Assurance 



213 



himself to One who was competent to take care of 
him. 

It is the height of folly for any man to assume 
that he can be his own caretaker in the journey of 
life; for we are confronted by real and formidable 
perils at every step. Would one dare to go alone 
through Asia Minor in times when the foundations 
of government are broken up? Unless he were 
foolhardy to the last degree, he would engage a 
dragoman with an escort sufficient to protect and 
defend him. 

But where shall we find one thus competent to 
guide us? The journey leads through the Future, 
which is an unknown country. The guide who 
leads us safely through that country must have been 
there before, and must know the way. Where 
shall we find him? 

God alone knows the future. He has traversed 
the future as he has the past. And Christ is God; 
bowing the heavens to come down that he may ad- 
just his power and wisdom to our needs, he more 
than all sages and philosophers knows the way 
through the perils and vicissitudes of the future, 
even unto "that day." The part of prudence, 
therefore, is to entrust our deposit to this Care- 
taker. He makes no mistakes; he leads no man in 
devious ways. 

This was the case with Paul. He had gone 
about in an unsettled way for years. He began by 
being his own caretaker — self-willed, self-confident 
and self-righteous. On discovering the folly of 



2i4 The Home Sanctuary 



his course, he turned his deposit over to the Jewish 
church, and thenceforth that church was his care- 
taker. As a ceremonialist he served his church in 
all good conscience, insomuch that it lavished its 
honors upon him. His name was in the roster of 
its worthies ; and he rested in the confidence of his 
church membership until he was thirty-one years 
of age. 

Then came the sunburst of divine light on the 
highway to Damascus; and Paul's life was revolu- 
tionized. He met Christ on that memorable day 
and made his acquaintance, so that he could say, "I 
know him." He had known about him before 
that; had known about his singular birth, his 
preaching, miracles, wonderful death and alleged 
resurrection; but he had never really known him. 
Now he met him face to face, made his acquaint- 
ance and straightway passed under his teaching. 
He was no more his own man; he was Paul the 
Christian — Jesus Christ's man. 

The great surrender occurred at the instant when 
he said, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" 
The surrender was absolute, unreserved. His de- 
posit, thenceforth, was in the keeping of Christ. 
He was prepared to say, "I am not my own; I am 
bought with a price, not of silver and gold, but the 
precious blood of Jesus as of a lamb without blem- 
ish and without spot." And looking inward he 
could say, "I no longer live, but Christ liveth in 
me!" 

In one of the Greek poets it is related that two 



Assurance 215 

devoted friends visited the shop of Vulcan, and de- 
sired to be joined in a closer and indissoluble union. 
He took out their hearts accordingly, laid them on 
his anvil and welded them into one. This is what 
happened to Paul when he met Christ on the high- 
way. His union with Christ was thenceforth so 
perfect that nothing could interrupt it. 
What was the result ? 

First, Assurance as to the great verities that cen- 
ter in Christ. 

His doubts were dissipated into thin air; since to 
say, "I know him," is equivalent to saying, "I have 
knowledge of the things that center in and revolve 
about him." To him the word of the Master was 
the last word respecting the problems of eternal 
life. He no longer said, U I think thus and so"; 
but, "I know this, because Christ declares it." He 
no longer said, "In my opinion this is right and 
that is wrong"; but, "I know that this is right and 
that is wrong, because Christ so says." He no 
longer paused in perplexity at the cross roads of 
truth and conduct, because the word of Christ was 
like an index finger pointing the way. 

And, secondly : As the result of this absolute sur- 
render to Christ he had definite assurance of salva- 
tion through him. His words, "I am persuaded," 
mean that he had discussed the problem of destiny 
pro and contra y and had finally settled it. He had 
placed his deposit once for all in the safekeeping of 
Christ, and it was secure. He could not worry ; he 
could only rest. He had found peace in believing; 



2i6 The Home Sanctuary 



the peace that Christ would fain bestow on all his 
followers in the terms of his last bequest: u Peace I 
leave with you ; my peace I give unto you ; not as 
the world giveth, give I unto you: let not your 
heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." His 
consciousness of oneness with Christ was such that 
he could say, as Wesley sang — 

This one thing I find, 
We two are so joined, 
He can't go to heaven 
And leave me behind. 

Why should he be afraid? Afraid of what? 
Of life, with its vicissitudes? Pain, sorrow, dis- 
appointment, were an essential part of his Master's 
plan — the Master who knows all, controls all, and 
makes no mistakes. "I reckon," says Paul, u that 
the sufferings of this present time are not worthy 
to be compared with the glory that shall be re- 
vealed in me." Shall he be afraid of death, then? 
No, death will be the good angel sent to sum- 
mon him to the higher life and promote him to 
nobler tasks. Or shall he be afraid of the Judg- 
ment? On the contrary, he looks forward to "that 
day" as the very goal and consummation of his 
hopes. For his Lord, with whom his destinies are 
indissolubly bound, will sit upon the Throne of 
Judgment u in that day." 

A chaplain asked of a dying soldier, "What is 
your persuasion?" He wished to know whether 
the man was a Christian and a church-member; 
and, if so, to what denomination he belonged. The 



Assurance 217 

soldier answered, "My persuasion is that of Paul; 
'I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor 
angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things 
present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, 
nor any other creature shall be able to separate me 
from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus my 
Lord!'" 

Oh, blessed Assurance of faith! This was what 
sustained Paul during the many sore trials of his 
eventful life, and enabled him to say in its closing 
scene, "I am now ready to be offered; for the time 
of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good 
fight. I have finished my course, I have kept the 
faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the 
crown of righteousness which the Lord, the right- 
eous Judge, shall give me at that day!" 

Would you, my friend, have such a crown ? Why 
not? The way is plain. Get into personal friend- 
ship with Christ. Make his acquaintance so that 
you also can say, "I know him." Knowing about 
him will not answer. Come into "the secret place of 
his tabernacle" and commune with him face to face. 
Look at him until "the eye affecteth the heart." Be 
in such accord with his plans and purposes concern- 
ing you that you can respond to these words, writ- 
ten by a Hindu convert: 

In the secret of his presence how my soul delights to hide ! 
Oh, how precious are the lessons which I learn at Jesus' 
side! 

Earthly cares can never vex me, neither trials lay me low; 
For when evil comes to vex me, to the secret place I go. 



2i 8 The Home Sanctuary 

Would you like to know the sweetness of the secret of the 
Lord? 

Go and hide beneath his shadow; this shall be your sure 
reward. 

And whene'er you leave the silence of that happy meeting- 
place, 

You must mind and bear the image of the Master in your 
face. 

To know Christ is to love him ; and to love him 
is to believe in him; and confidence is the secret of 
Assurance, for "perfect love casteth out fear"; and 
this is faith; and "faith is the victory that overcom- 
eth the world!" 

This is Life Eternal, to know Him. 



8. PRAYER 

O Lord, I know that I am not saved for 
any worth or worthiness in me. I am help- 
less, but thou art mighty to save. Enable me 
to rest in thee. Why should I worry when I 
am held in everlasting arms? Why should 
I doubt when thy word of promise is Yea and 
Amen? Lord, I believe: I can do no more. 
Help me to take thee at thy word and cast 
misgiving to the winds. Send me about my 
w r ork and keep me faithful unto death. Then, 
when I behold thy face in peace, thou shalt 
have the praise of my salvation forever. 
Amen, 



Assurance 



219 



9. HYMN: "Saviour more than life to me." 

10. BENEDICTION 

The Lord bless thee and keep thee: the 
Lord make his face to shine upon thee and 
be gracious unto thee: the Lord lift up his 
countenance upon thee and give thee peace. 



SEVENTEENTH SERVICE 



The Witch of Endor 

INVOCATION 

OLord, make this unto me a profitable 
hour. I have an appointment with thee. 
When thou saidst, "Seek ye my face," my soul 
answered, "Thy face, Lord, will I seek." I 
do not ask for thy presence, because I know 
thou art here before me; but I ask for a rev- 
elation of thyself in the power of thy grace. 
Commune with me, and enable me to take hold 
upon thy strength ; for Jesus' sake. Amen. 

HYMN: u Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Al- 
mighty!" 

SCRIPTURE LESSON 

1 Samuel 28 : 1-20. 

2 Thessalonians 2. 

PRAYER 

My blessed Lord and Master, help me to 
remember thy word, "Watch and pray"; for 
I am compassed about by temptations. Enable 
me to overcome the Evil One, and particularly 
when he approaches me in the guise of an 
angel of light. Save me from self-reliance; 
220 



The Witch of Endor 



221 



incline me to lean hard on thee. Thou know- 
est how the Adversary, who said to our first 
parents, "Yea, hath God said?" is continu- 
ally misleading thy people in the same way. 
Thou only canst keep them faithful to the 
truth as revealed in thy holy Word. Thou 
knowest how the Divine claims of thine only- 
begotten Son are speciously denied, even by 
some who profess his Name. Let their teach- 
ing be as water poured upon the ground, which 
can not be gathered up. Suffer not thy people 
to be led astray by it. Exalt the truth as it 
is in Jesus, and incline the whole sin-stricken 
world to receive it. For there is none other 
name given under heaven or among men 
whereby they can be saved. Thou hast cast 
up an highway to heaven, so plain that the 
simplest wayfarer need not err therein. All 
praise to thee, gracious God, for the Royal 
Way of the Cross ! And blessed be thy Name 
for the broad invitation, "Whosoever will, let 
him come." Oh, may many sinners turn from 
the error of their way! And let thy saints, 
who assemble in thy courts to-day, be edified 
by thy Word. Kindle a flame of sacred zeal 
in all cold hearts. Turn thou again our cap- 
tivity, that multitudes of those whose harps 
are now hung upon the willows of Babylon 
may return and come to Zion with songs and 
everlasting joy upon their heads. And to the 
only wise God, our Saviour, shall be glory 



222 The Home Sanctuary 



and majesty, dominion and power, both now 
and forever. Amen. 

5. HYMN : "I heard the voice of Jesus say." 

6. OFFERING 

7. THE SERMON 

The Witch of Endor 

"And Saul said unto his servants, 1 Seek me a 
woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go 
to her and inquire of her.' And his servants said 
to him, 'Behold, there is a woman that has a 
familiar spirit at Endor.' And Saul disguised 
himself and put on other raiment, and went, he 
and two men with him, and they came to the 
woman by night." (1 Sam. 28: 7.) 

Who was this that wanted his fortune told ? A 
man divinely called and chosen to a throne, w 7 ho, 
trifling with opportunity, had thrown away his 
crown and scepter. 

It is recorded of him that he was u a choice young 
man and a goodly: and there was not among the 
children of Israel a goodlier person than he." He 
was crowned at Mizpah with universal shoutings 
of u God save the king!" He began his reign un- 
der a rainbow-arch of promise. For a while he 
did splendidly. On the throne he was every inch 
a king. In battle he was as brave as a lion. But 
little by little he gave himself over to self-will, until 
all glory departed from him. Self-will w 7 as his be- 
setting sin. He blazed his own path to ruin. No 
man can, with impunity, cross purposes with God. 



The Witch of Endor 223 



In all this, as Saul himself confessed, he "played 
the fool." But the discovery came too late. He 
had presumed too far upon the patience of God. 
There were no more counseling voices; the lights 
had gone out. The affairs of the kingdom were 
hastening to a crisis. Saul was burdened with a 
foreboding of disaster. He was afraid, and "his 
heart greatly trembled." He inquired of the Lord, 
but "the Lord answered him not." He must have 
counsel from some quarter. The Philistines were 
gathering at Esdraelon in the north. The king was 
at his wit's end. It was at this juncture that he was 
advised of "a woman with a familiar spirit at En- 
dor." And here is Saul the mighty, disguised 
under cover of the night, at the witch's cave, 
with the pall of a hopeless doom gathering about 
him ! 

All this happened three thousand years ago. 
True; but history repeats itself. It is no difficult 
matter to bring the incident up to date ; for there 
are witches still, and there is no lack of foolish folk 
to consult them. The caves of fraud and false- 
hood are everywhere about us, where foul witches 
await the crossing of their palms to tell the fortunes 
of the credulous. "Come in and see your future in 
the rock crystal ! Come and you shall hear some- 
thing better than your religion !" Aye, many are 
the caves of witchcraft; and many there be that go 
in thereat. "They seek unto wizards that peep 
and mutter," and among them are not a few who 
once frequented the house of God. 



224 The Home Sanctuary 



In my early life I had a friend who professed to 
be a follower of Christ, but, posing as a liberal, was 
overfond of taking issue with the truth. He set out 
for Endor about thirty years ago. The first cave 
he visited was that of Spiritualism; then he became 
a Theosophist; after that an Occultist or Esoteric 
Buddhist; then he paused a while at the cave of 
Christian Science; then he fell in with New 
Thought and subsequently with Pragmatism; and 
on my inquiring recently as to what particular phase 
of unbelief he was now entertaining, the answer 
was, "I believe he calls himself an Agnostic" — ■ 
which means, I suppose, that he knows nothing and 
is proud of it. 

There are many passing through a like experi- 
ence in these days; people who were once in cov- 
enant with Christ but, forsaking the Gospel, have 
drifted into all sorts of crooked systems. It is 
singular how almost any form of superstition will 
answer for those who have swung oft from the 
periphery of Christian faith; any so-called philoso- 
phy, delusion or hallucination, exploded heresy, ab- 
surd and preposterous mummery, puerility or bed- 
lamite conceit. Almost anything will do. Think 
of substituting the puerilities of the grotesque vol- 
ume called u Science and Health" for the verities 
of Holy Writ; or the drivel of a spiritualistic 
medium for the wise and divine teachings of 
Christ ! When the sunlight goes, all hail to moon- 
shine ! Anything but the Gospel, anything but the 
Bible, anything but Christ ! 



The Witch of Endor 



225 



I. How shall we account fjjr it? The steps 
downward are not difficult to trace. 

The descent begins, usually, with neglect of the 
Bible. As Christians we take the Bible to be our 
infallible rule of faith and practice; but the air is 
vibrant with hostile criticism; perhaps no more than 
ever, for there never has been a time when the 
world was willing to believe the Word of God. 
But Christians are less averse in these days to the 
reading of infidel books and literature. Not a few 
are "taken up in the lips of talkers"; and when 
faith in the Scriptures is lost, they have nothing to 
live by. What would be expected of a skipper who 
undertook to sail his ship without consulting his 
chart and compass? He would be certain to drift 
out of his course ; and then not even his best dead- 
reckoning could help him. 

Another cause for this moral declension is neg- 
lect of prayer. u Prayer is the Christian's vital 
breath, the Christian's native air." The Lord's 
injunction "Enter into thy closet and shut to the 
door and commune with thy Father," can not be ig- 
nored with impunity. A native convert in India 
came to his missionary with a quaint complaint that 
"the happy had gone out of his heart." The mis- 
sionary said, "I can tell you the reason: I recently 
passed by the place in the forest where you used to 
go alone for prayer; the pathway was overgrown 
with grass." No pressure of time, no dullness of 
soul or indifference of mood can excuse the neglect 
of the trysting-place, 



226 The Home Sanctuary 



The movement on the down grade is further ac- 
celerated by neglect of church privileges. The bell 
that rings "Come ! Come ! Come and worship God; 
neglect not the assembling of yourselves to- 
gether!" has all the emphasis of an ethical impera- 
tive. He who allows it to pass unheeded, and thus 
forms the non-church-going habit, withdraws from 
the circle of Christian fellowship. The Church is 
not a perfect institution, but it is what it is by the 
grace of God. Whatever criticism may be justly 
passed upon it, the fact remains that the Church 
is the Bride of Christ; and he can not look with 
complacency on one who puts a wilful slight upon 
it. 

An additional cause of the spiritual decadence re- 
ferred to is neglect of known duty and indulgence 
in known sin. The vital bond between the Chris- 
tian and his Lord is obedience. One sin weakens it; 
persistence in sin severs it. A sinful habit "short- 
circuits" the power of the soul. A first indulgence 
wounds the conscience; the second does not cut so 
deep; the twentieth falls painlessly as on a sur- 
face seared with a hot iron. The blacksmith's ap- 
prentice at first shrinks from every flying spark, but, 
having become "seasoned," he is quite indifferent 
to a shower of sparks. Here lies the danger of 
habitual sin. It is committed without scruple or 
compunction ; and the ill-doer, dreaming in the face 
of danger, smiles at the little discomfort it gives 
him. 

II. What is the result? The Lord has clearly 



The Witch of Endor 



227 



spoken: "If ye seek him he will be found of you; 
but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you." 

The best friend the truth-seeker has is the Spirit 
of God, who leads the willing soul in the pathway 
of life. But "the Spirit shall not always strive 
with men." If there be resistance again and again 
the Spirit will sadly take its departure. There is un- 
speakable pathos in the injunction, "Grieve not the 
Spirit." The picture is that of a loving father, 
moved to sorrow by the obduracy of a wayward 
child. When the Spirit says Farewell, all open vi- 
sion ceases and the lights go out. 

The soul is then confirmed in unbelief. 

In the Thessalonian Church there were certain 
persons carried away by "the deceivableness of un- 
righteousness," who were admonished that "God 
would send them strong delusion that they should 
believe a lie." It is not impossible that some of 
those who are fond of calling themselves doubters 
have already reached that dreary lowland of un- 
belief. 

Doubt is humble and agonizes for the light ; un- 
belief is boastful, and wears its rejection of truth 
like a feather in its hat. 

You think you doubt the personality of God: 
are you quite sure that you do not wholly reject 
it? You think you doubt the divinity of Christ: 
are you certain that, deep down in your heart, 
you have not utterly renounced it? You are 
wont to say that you question the inspiration 
and trustworthiness of Scripture: ask yourself 



228 The Home Sanctuary 



whether you do not mean that you unequiv- 
ocally deny it. 

No doubt everybody has a mortal dread of 
hydrophobia — that fearful malady, in which the 
patient longs for water with a thirst unspeakable, 
and yet, when water is placed before him, revolts 
and barks at it. There is a corresponding malady 
in the province of religious thought, to wit, biblio- 
phobia — in which the sufferer knows his exigent 
need of spiritual and eternal truth, and yet, when 
God's Revelation of that truth is opened before 
him, not only refuses but disdains and flouts it. 

And along with unbelief comes worldliness. 
When confidence in God and the great verities that 
center in him are lost, what remains but to live 
within the narrow circumscription of the physical 
senses? If the Epicurean philosophy be true, why 
is not the Epicurean life the right one? "Let us eat 
and drink, for to-morrow we die!" The place for 
Samson when his locks are shorn and his eyes are 
destroyed, is in Dagon's gateway; there let him sit 
grinding at the mill. 

And worldliness at the bottonr means worthless- 
ness. The value of a man's life is measured by the 
place that he fills in God's universal plan. God's 
reapers are on the way to his yellow fields with 
sickle in hand; but the soul of the lapsed believer, 
idle in the market-place, has neither part nor lot 
in it. 

And this means unhappiness. There is no peace 
for the man who is thus self-exiled from the spirit- 



The Witch of Endor 229 



ual life. His way is hard. The memories of the 
past are bitter; the future is dark as an Egyptian 
night. 

Great God, I'd rather be 

A pagan suckled in a creed outworn ; 

So might I, standing on this pleasant lea, 

Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn ; 

Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea, 
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn ! 

III. What is the remedy? 

Get back to the Bible. Take down the dusty and 
forgotten book and open it. You have, perhaps, 
been studying too long about it, under the impres- 
sion that you were studying it. Open and search 
it. See if there is not something here which the 
good God would reveal to you. "Search the 
Scriptures/' said Jesus, "for in them ye think ye 
have eternal life, and these are they which testify 
of me." 

And return to your trysting-place. Enter into 
the closet and shut the door and commune with 
God. And, finding yourself there, for your souPs 
sake do not say your prayers. Pray! If you have 
anything to ask of God, ask it. If you have any 
complaint to make against him, make it. "Bring 
forth your strong arguments." Have it out with 
him. Your extremity is his opportunity. When 
sailors, being at their wit's end, cry unto the Lord 
in their trouble, he maketh the storm a calm and 
bringeth them to their desired haven. (Read 
Psalm 107 : 23-31.) 



230 The Home Sanctuary 



And then get back to the Church. You have 
been accustomed to say, perhaps, that there are "as 
good men outside of the Church as there are in it." 
You are quite right. There are better men outside 
of the Church than there are in it. In point of fact, 
all the good men are outside of the Church. And 
the reason is plain. The Church is not for good 
people but for such as, realizing their sinfulness, 
want to be good and band themselves together for 
mutual support to that end. All true Church-mem- 
bers are sinners, sinners saved by grace. If you 
are strong enough to stand alone in your self-right- 
eousness the Church is not intended for you; but 
if you feel your unworthiness and your need of co- 
operative help and sympathy, then the Church is 
just the place for you. 

But above everything else get back to Christ. 
Not to any of the human Christs who have, in 
these last times, been conjured up out of the imag- 
inations of men; but to the only historic Christ, 
namely, the Christ of the Bible. "There is none 
other name given under heaven among men 
whereby we must be saved." And, once in his 
presence, renew your covenant with him. Let there 
be no reservation. He makes no terms but uncon- 
ditional surrender. "Now to be thine, yea, thine 
alone, O Lamb of God, I come!" 

And then get busy. For "Satan finds some mis- 
chief still for idle hands to do." Believe what the 
Master says, and moment by moment do what he 
bids you do. Follow the watchword of the Chris- 



The Witch of Endor 



231 



tian life: u To obey is better than sacrifice, and to 
hearken than the fat of rams." 

If you are disposed thus to return to your first 
love, be of good courage. Your case is a hopeful 
one. The "grieving" of the Spirit is not final; for 
great are his compassions; but when the Spirit is 
"quenched," there is an end of hope ; the last spark 
is out! 

On the heights of Gilboa stood the recreant king 
amid a shower of arrows, despair in his heart and 
desperation on his face. His three sons and his 
armor-bearer lay dead at his feet; his shield had 
been vilely cast away. Leaning heavily upon his 
sword, dying of a self-inflicted wound, he reeled 
and fell. "How are the mighty fallen!" The 
next morning his headless body was impaled against 
the wall of Bethshan. On the stone above it write 
his epitaph : "Here lies one who was called to reign, 
but who died of having his own way." 

For the soul that is moved to repentance, it is 
never too late to mend. In a notable exhibit at the 
Luxembourg, not long ago, there was a picture 
that attracted great attention. It was called "Too 
Late." The prodigal in rags and tatters having 
returned to his home, knelt in an attitude of hope- 
less anguish by the side of the bed whereon his 
father lay dead, with the candles about him. Too 
late ! Too late ! 

This is not true. The prodigal may die, but his 
Father never. He waits with outstretched hands 
and gazes into the distance watching for the return 



232 The Home Sanctuary 



of his wayward son from the far country. "And 
when he was yet a great way off (now God be 
praised for the infinite hope in the closing words 
of the great parable of grace!) his father saw him 
and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck 
and kissed him." 

Thus saith the Lord, "I have blotted out as a 
thick cloud thy transgressions, and as a cloud thy 
sins; return unto me, for I have redeemed thee!" 

8. PRAYER 

O God, save me from wandering in by-and- 
forbidden paths. I have Christ as my Guide; 
help me to follow him. I have the Bible as 
my infallible rule of faith and practice; help 
me to believe its teachings and translate them 
into life and character. Thou art my safe- 
guard. Stay by me every hour of every day, 
O Lord; for I can not go wrong in thy com- 
pany. And save me, finally, with an abun- 
dant and everlasting salvation, through Jesus 
Christ. Amen. 

9. HYMN : "Jesus, keep me near the Cross!" 

10. BENEDICTION 

Now may the God of peace, who brought 
again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, 
that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the 
blood of the everlasting covenant, make you 
perfect in every good work to do his will, 



The Witch of Endor 233 



working in you that which is well-pleasing in 
his sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be 
glory forever. Amen. 



EIGHTEENTH SERVICE 



The Golden Altar 

1. INVOCATION 

God, I confess my inability to seek thee 
^ aright. Come out, while I am yet a great 
way off, and meet me. Enable me, through 
Christ, to confide in thy truth and wisdom, in 
thine almighty power and immeasurable 
Love. Bow thy heavens and come down to 
me; for Jesus' sake. Amen. 

2. HYMN : "The morning light is breaking." 

3. SCRIPTURE LESSON 

Leviticus 10:1-7. 
Hebrews 9:1-5, 24-28. 

4. PRAYER 

I thank thee, Lord, for all the blessings of 
thy Providence; for life and daily bread, for 
refreshing sleep, for the light of the sun, for 
this world's good, and all the happiness thou 
hast given me. I thank thee for the blessings 
of thy Grace; for the Gospel of thy dear Son, 
and for leading me to accept it; for the Bible 
and the Sabbath, for the privilege of worship, 
and the opportunity of serving thee. Thou 
hast crowned my life with thy loving-kindness. 
If ever I have complained of pain or sickness, 

234 



The Golden Altar 235 



or of any chastening, forgive thou me. Grant 
me a grateful heart and sympathy with all who 
suffer in mind, body, or estate. Let thy mercy 
rest on all who call upon thee, and be pleased 
to draw near unto those who know thee not. 
Send thy grace to those who have the Gospel 
and heed it not. Send thy Gospel to those 
who dwell in pagan darkness. O Bridegroom 
of the Church, awake thy sleeping bride, that 
she may shake herself from the dust and put 
on her garments of salvation. Send reapers 
into the field, which is already white unto the 
harvest. Suffer not souls to perish because of 
the indifference of those who profess to love 
and serve thee. Send me to my place of use- 
fulness to-day. If I have ten talents, show 
me how to use them; if I have only one, for- 
bid that I should bury it. Use me and glorify 
thyself in me; for thy Name's sake. Amen. 

5. HYMN : "Lord, I hear of showers of bless- 

ing!" 

6. OFFERING 

7. THE SERMON 

The Golden Altar 

"And he [the high-priest] shall take a censer 
full of coals of fire from off the altar before 
Jehovah, and his hands full of sweet incense 
beaten small, and bring it within the veil. . . . 
And he shall take of the blood of the bullock and 
sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy-seat." 
(Levit. 16: 12-14.) 



236 



The Home Sanctuary 



"But Christ having come, a high-priest of good 
things to come, through the greater and more 
perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is 
to say, not of this creation, nor yet by the blood 
of goats and calves, but through his own blood 
entered in once for all into the holy place, hav- 
ing obtained eternal redemption. " (Heb. 9: 
II, 12, 24.) 

I suppose we have all begun the day with 
prayer. If we are Christians we have done so as a 
matter of course, for 

Prayer is the Christian's vital breath, 
The Christian's native air. 

Those who are not Christians should also, as a 
matter of course, have begun the day with prayer. 
For prayer is natural; and, by the same token, its 
omission is a sin against nature. 

In an ancient picture of the Nativity, the sheep 
and cattle are represented on their knees ; but that 
is abnormal. The vital point of differentiation be- 
tween man and the lower orders of life is just 
there : they can not pray, but he can. He can, as 
Kepler said, u think God's thoughts after him." 
The question that Jesus asked of the Pharisees, 
"How much is a man better than a sheep?" is 
echoed by Tennyson in his Idylls of the King: 

For what are men better than sheep or goats, 
That nourish a blind life within the brain, 
If, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer 
Both for themselves and those who call them friends ? 
For so the whole round world is every way 
Bound by gold chains about the feet of God. 



The Golden Altar 237 



In the elaborate ritual of the Old Economy, in 
which all rites and symbols were intended to point 
forward to the Gospel, there were two altars, rep- 
resenting the two racial instincts that find expression 
in the questions, "What shall I do to be saved?" 
and " How shall I draw nigh to God?" One of 
these was the Brazen Altar of sacrifice, which was 
a silhouette of the Cross; and the other was the 
Golden Altar of incense, which was a picturesque 
setting forth of prayer. And there was a vital 
relation between them. 

On the great Day of Atonement, which is still 
observed among the Jews as "Yom Kippur," the 
high-priest began the ceremonial at the Brazen 
Altar. In one hand he held a brasier full of in- 
cense, which he kindled with coals from the altar; 
then, dipping his hands in the blood of the sacri- 
fice, he made his way to the entrance of the taber- 
nacle, passed within the curtain, sprinkled the blood 
upon the Golden Altar, swung the burning brasier 
until the holy place was filled with a cloud of in- 
cense, and thus made his plea for the pardoning of 
the people's sins. 

In this we have a picturesque setting forth of the 
Philosophy of Prayer. Let us observe the incense, 
the fire and the blood, as representing its three es- 
sential factors : 

I. The Incense gives us the Definition of 
Prayer. 

This incense was held to be of such importance 
that it had to be compounded under a divine for- 



238 The Home Sanctuary 



mula. It could be used nowhere but on the Golden 
Altar, and to counterfeit it was death. The for- 
mula was as follows: u Take unto thee sweet spices, 
stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; sweet spices with 
pure frankincense; of each shall there be like 
weight ; and thou shalt make it incense, a perfume, 
after the art of the perfumer, seasoned with salt, 
together, pure and holy." (Exod. 30: 34.) 

In like manner an acceptable prayer has three 
constituent factors. 

The first is Peace w T ith God. Sin is enmity 
against God, and the sinner is a rebel against divine 
law. It is obvious that before a man can come ac- 
ceptably to the mercy-seat he must repent of his 
sins and cease fighting against God. The way is 
clearly pointed out in the Gospel — which is called 
the Gospel of Reconciliation because it is, as it 
were, a flag or truce sent out from the throne of 
God. 

The second is Humility. A petition sent to the 
House of Lords, bearing the signatures of many 
honorable citizens of the British Empire, was re- 
jected because of the omission of a single word. 
It should have begun "We humbly beg, etc.," but 
the word "humbly" was left out. The man who 
approaches the King of kings with no humility in 
his petition is merely beating the air. God is the 
Infinite ; w T hile, as for us, our breath is in our nos- 
trils. "Procul! Pro call Abeste prof am ! n was 
the inscription over the ancient shrines: u Draw not 
near, ye irreverent ones!" Who are we that we 



The Golden Altar 239 



should presume to approach God? It Is recorded 
that, when he appeared in the midst of the burning 
bush, Moses said: "I will turn aside and see this 
great sight; why the bush burneth and is not con- 
sumed," and God called to him, saying: u Draw 
not nigh hither! Put off thy shoes from off thy 
feet, for the ground whereon thou standest is holy 
ground !" And Moses hid his face, for he was 
afraid to look upon God. 

The third is Faith. For "he that cometh to 
God must believe that he is, and that he is the re- 
warder of them that diligently seek him." In other 
words, the petitioner must be confidently persuaded 
of two things : that God really is, and that he is the 
hearer and answerer of prayer. 

It is around these very points that the contro- 
versy rages most fiercely in these days. The ques- 
tion is whether the Law is greater than the Law- 
giver, or vice versa. If it be true that the world 
is governed by automatic and insensate Law, then 
the words of Strauss the rationalist are a reasonable 
inference: "In the enormous machine of the uni- 
verse, amid the incessant whirl and hiss of its 
jagged wheels and the deafening crash of ponder- 
ous stamps and hammers, I find myself a helpless 
and defenseless man, not sure for a moment that a 
wheel may not seize and rend me or a hammer 
crush me into powder; and this sense of abandon- 
ment is something awful!" But if, on the other 
hand, the Law-giver is above the Law, then there 
is hope for us. 



240 The Home Sanctuary 



Not long ago, there was a fire in an East Side 
tenement and the way of escape for those on the 
upper floors was cut off. At one of the windows a 
mother appeared with a child in her arms, calling 
for help. But the ladders would not reach. In 
utter self-forgetfulness (Oh, wonderful mother- 
love!) she cried, "Save my baby !" Her only hope 
was to toss the child out of the window ; and that 
meant simply to commit it to the cold mercies of 
the law of gravity, which was certain death. The 
fire-chief heard the mother's cry; bade his men 
spread the life-blanket, and then called to the 
mother to let the child fall, The law of gravity 
was interrupted then and there, and the child was 
saved. Is it to be supposed that God can not, if 
need be, arrest the operation of his laws in the 
same way? Is not the law of an engine interrupted, 
when the engineer in an emergency lays his hand 
upon the lever and reverses its wheels? Is not the 
law of disease interrupted, when the physician ad- 
ministers a remedy that heals his patient? Is not 
the law of a chronometer interrupted, when the 
hands are turned back to regulate it? Is God, 
then, the only rational being in the universe who 
can not interrupt the operation of a law? The sug- 
gestion is grotesque — simply preposterous ! He 
hears and can answer when his children cry unto 
him. 

So much for the Definition of Prayer. 
II. The Fire on the Golden Altar points out the 
Rationale of Prayer. 



The Golden Altar 241 



It does this by showing us the vital connection 
between the two altars. As the incense was kindled 
by coals from the altar of sacrifice, so are we to 
find the rational basis of prayer in the Atonement 
wrought on Calvary by the only-begotten Son of 
God. 

He came into the world to show us the way to 
return to our Father. His words are plain. "I am 
the way, the truth, and the light. No man cometh 
unto the Father but by me." Therefore no cross, 
no prayer; no atonement, no reconciliation with 
God. It is because of the passion of Christ that we 
are enabled to follow his injunction: "When ye 
pray, say 'Our Father.' " For only those who are 
willing to be reconciled can draw near to God. 

Christ came not only to show us, but to open the 
way for us. At the moment when, having accom- 
plished his great sacrifice, he cried, "It is finished!" 
the veil of the Temple was rent in sunder from the 
top to the bottom, as if by an unseen hand. Where- 
fore it is written, "We have boldness to enter into 
the Holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living 
way which he hath consecrated for us through the 
veil that is to say, his flesh ; and having a high-priest 
over the house of God, let us draw near with a true 
heart in full assurance of faith." 

Not only so ; but, having shown the way back to 
God, and having opened it by his vicarious death, 
he has given us a passport at the entering of the 
veil, to wit: "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my 
name that will I do, that the Father may be glori- 



242 The Home Sanctuary 



fied in the Son." And again, "If ye shall ask any- 
thing in my name, I will do it." And again, "I 
have chosen you, that whatsoever ye shall ask of 
the Father in my name he may give it to you." 
And again, "Verily, verily, I say unto you; what- 
soever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will 
give it you." Observe the great words here, "any- 
thing" and "whatsoever." Oh boundless promise ! 
It is as if a draft were drawn on the Divine ex- 
chequer, in blank, to be filled out by the receiver, 
indorsed in full by the omnipotent Son of God! 

So much for the Rationale of Prayer. 

III. In the Blood y which was carried from the 
Brazen Altar to be sprinkled upon the Golden 
Altar } we have the Assurance of Prayer. It is like 
the red arrow which Great Britain uses as the seal 
of its authority. If our prayers are answered, it is 
because the Blood says that it shall be so. 

For when Jesus went away from the world he 
passed through the veil into the Holy of Holies, 
where he "ever liveth to make intercession for us." 
It is written that "God, being minded to show 
more abundantly unto the heirs of the promise the 
immutability of his counsel, interposed with an 
oath ; that by two immutable things, in which it is 
impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong 
encouragement, who have fled for refuge to lay 
hold of the hope set before us; which we have as 
an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and stead- 
fast, and entering into that which is within the veil, 
whither as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, hav- 



The Golden Altar 243 



ing become a high-priest forever after the order 
of Melchizedek." ( Heb. 6:17-20.) We lean upon 
the intercession of the High Priest who thus pleads 
for us at the throne of heavenly grace. 

In one of the visions of the Apocalypse we have 
the scene portrayed: "And I beheld and lo! in the 
midst of the throne stood a Lamb as it had been 
slain. And the four-and-twenty elders fell down 
before the Lamb, having each a harp and golden 
bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the 
saints." The essential God does not appear, be- 
cause He is not visible to mortal eyes ; but the Son 
of God, u a Lamb as it had been slain," bearing 
still the marks of his earthly passion, stands at the 
right hand of His majesty; and the prayers of 
saints, ascending through him, give a sweet-smell- 
ing savor unto God: wherefore, 

Arise my soul, arise, 

Shake off thy guilty fears; 
The bleeding sacrifice 

In my behalf appears ! 
Before the throne my Surety stands, 
My name is written on his hands. 
He ever lives above 

For me to intercede ; 
His all redeeming love, 

His precious blood to plead. 
His blood atoned for all our race, 
And sprinkles now the throne of grace. 
The Father hears him pray, 

His dear anointed One, 
He can not turn away 

The presence of his Son ; 
His Spirit answers to the blood 
And tells me I am born of God! 



244 



The Home Sanctuary 



This intercession of Christ was anticipated once 
in his earthly ministry. In the sacerdotal prayer 
which followed his last interview with his disciples 
in the upper room, he lifted up his eyes to heaven 
and said, "Father, the hour is come. Glorify thy 
Son, that thy Son may also glorify thee; as thou 
hast given him power over all flesh that he should 
give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 
I pray for them ; I pray not that thou shouldst take 
them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep 
them from the evil. Sanctify them through thy 
truth ; thy word is truth. Father, I will that they, 
also, whom thou hast given me may be with me 
where I am, that they may behold thy glory which 
thou hast given me." What words are these? 
"Father, I will!" On the lips of any mortal pe- 
titioner this would have been presumption im- 
measurable. "Father, I will!" As if his word 
were law ! It is thus that he intercedes in heaven ; 
so that whatsoever he asks, as an echo of our ask- 
ing in his name, that shall be done unto us. 

And we are realizing the results of his interces- 
sion in the answers that are granted us. Now and 
then an unbeliever, who has no experience in these 
premises, starts up to suggest a "prayer test." A 
universal prayer test has been going on since the be- 
ginning of time. A great multitude have gone, 
staggering under their burdens, to the trysting- 
place at the Golden Altar, and have come forth 
light hearted, saying, "This poor man cried, and 
the Lord heard and saved him out of all his 



The Golden Altar 245 



trouble !" Who shall presume to impeach their 
testimony? There are millions, yea hundreds of 
millions, of them, all certifying to the fact that they 
prayed and God heard them. 

The world is full of people who have seen the 
sun rise; but here are a hundred inmates of a blind 
asylum who have never seen it. Shall they pre- 
sume to cavil at the testimony of those who have ? 
We know whereof we speak. u That which we 
have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, 
which we have looked upon and our hands have 
handled, declare w T e unto you." 

What then ? Pray on ! The promises of prayer 
are like the bells on Aaron's robe when he minis- 
tered at the Golden Altar, which gave the attend- 
ing Levites to understand that he was there making 
his plea before God. So, from the high place 
where our mighty Intercessor makes his prayers in 
our behalf, come the great promises, such as, u Ask 
and it shall be given unto you, seek and ye shall 
find, knock and it shall be opened unto you." To 
your knees, O followers of Christ ! Pray on, and 
pray believing! He is the hearer and answerer. 
Pray on ! Pray on ! 

8. PRAYER 

O blessed Lord, who ever liveth to make 
intercession for thy people, help me hence- 
forth to offer the prayer of faith. For when 
my poor prayers are reinforced with thine, I 
know they must prevail with God. Without 



246 The Home Sanctuary 



thee I am nothing; wherefore, Lord, leave me 
not to myself nor forsake me. Abide with 
me until I behold thy face; and thou shalt 
have the praise of my salvation world without 
end. Amen. 

9. HYMN: "Sweet hour of prayer." 

10. BENEDICTION 

The blessing of God, the Triune God, 
Father, Saviour and Comforter, be with you. 
Amen. 



NINETEENTH SERVICE 



"The Law of Liberty" 

1. INVOCATION 

As I come into thy presence, O Lord, help 
-/Jl me to realize all the possibilities of this 
hour of communion with thee. Let the world 
be shut out, that I may be alone with thee. 
Grant me a new vision of some helpful truth, 
and a new impulse toward right living; for 
Christ's sake. Amen. 

2. HYMN: "All hail the power of Jesus' 

Name!" 

3. SCRIPTURE LESSON 

Psalm 107 : 8-15. 
James 1. 

4. PRAYER 

Gracious God, slow to anger and plenteous 
in mercy, remember not against me my many 
transgressions. Blot them out, according to 
thy promise, "Though your sins are as scarlet 
they shall be as white as snow, and though 
they be red like crimson they shall be as 
wool." Oh, the wonders of thy grace in 
Jesus Christ ! He was wounded for our trans- 
gressions and bruised for our iniquities, that 

247 



248 The Home Sanctuary 

by his stripes we might be healed. Salvation, 
oh the joyful sound — 'tis music in mine ear. 
And now, being purged of sin, I would work 
out my salvation even to its uttermost possi- 
bilities. Give me the joyous spirit of liberty 
in Christ, who breaks the power of reigning 
sin and sets the prisoner free. Help me so 
to rejoice in thy salvation that the hardest 
task may not be grievous. Give me the aban- 
don of a perfect faith. And this I ask, not 
for myself only, but for all in the fellowship of 
Christ. There is none of them good — no not 
one ; but they are trying to be good. Lord, be 
patient with them. Help the stumbling to 
walk securely; lift the fallen to their feet. 
Awake those who sleep, and stimulate the in- 
different to holy zeal. Befriend the lonely; 
make easy the beds of those who languish in 
weary suffering. Thine eyes behold them and 
thou lovest all. Go out on the dark moun- 
tains after the lost. Send thy Gospel to the 
benighted peoples in the regions beyond, that 
they too may rejoice in thee. Hear and an- 
swer for Jesus' sake. Amen. 

5. HYMN : u My soul, be on thy guard." 

6. OFFERING 

7. THE SERMON 

"The Law of Liberty" 
"Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, 



"The Law of Liberty" 249 



deluding your own selves. For if any one is a 
hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto 
a man beholding his natural face in a mirror: 
for he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, and 
straightway forgetteth what manner of man he 
was. But he that looketh into the perfect law, 
the law of liberty, and so continueth, being not 
a hearer that forgetteth, but a doer that worketh, 
this man shall be blessed in his doing." (James 
1 : 22-25.) 

The Bible is a mirror; and the two men here 
portrayed stand for two classes of readers. One 
of them glances into the mirror, as a woman on the 
street takes a hasty look into a window to see 
whether her hat is on straight, and passes on. The 
other looks into the mirror intently and observes 
something that makes a deep and permanent im- 
pression upon him. He sees his natural or nor- 
mal face;* in other words, he sees himself as he was 
created — sinless, erect, self-respecting, with eyes 
uplifted toward God. He sees this natural self 
environed by law; for as God is a normal being, so 
is man, the child of God. And he sees that within 
the bounds of this law, a law interwoven with the 
very nerve and fiber of his constitution, he is quite 
free as a child of God. 

I. We have here, at the outset, a Definition of 
liberty ; and this definition involves a paradox. 

An idea prevails in some quarters that liberty 
and law are mutually incompatible ; but in this ex- 

*In the margin this is rendered properly "the face of his 
birth." 



250 The Home Sanctuary 



pression, "the law of liberty/' it is suggested that 
they are in perfect accord with each other. How 
can that be? 

It is a common and calamitous mistake to as- 
sume that liberty means absolution from the re- 
straints of law. Milton speaks of certain ones — 

Who bawl for freedom in their senseless mood, 
And still revolt when truth would set them free. 

This was the error of the French revolutionists, 
who cried, "Down with law, order, and govern- 
ment !" and paid the penalty in confusion worse 
confounded. No, my friend, liberty is not license. 
"Go as you please" is not the badge of a free man. 

If one were to apply that definition to the affairs 
of every-day life, what would become of him ? Will 
a disregard of the laws of hygiene set one free? 
Nay, it will bind one on a rack and torture one with 
the fiery arrows of insomnia, indigestion, and all 
the other ills that human flesh is heir to. 

Let him apply it in the province of his intel- 
lectual life, and where will it land him? To call 
himself a "free-thinker" because he defies the pre- 
scribed rules of thought is as if a skipper were to 
ignore the maritime chart, run up the black flag, 
and become a wild rover of the sea. The open 
ports of the Commerce of Truth are closed against 
him; leaving him to wander over the boundless 
void of Agnosticism, where, as Fichte said, "A 
man knows nothing, not even that he knows noth- 
ing." 



"The Law of Liberty" 251 



Nor is it less disastrous to apply this conceptipn 
of freedom in the province of the moral life. He 
who insists on living as he pleases, despite the mo- 
ralities, is far indeed from being free, since he has 
become a very bondslave of the basest lusts and 
passions of his meaner self. 

We conclude, therefore, that the true definition 
of liberty is not exemption from the law, but per- 
fect obedience to it. The law referred to, how- 
ever, is not an exotic law, not a law promulgated 
by an arbitrary sovereign sitting on a distant throne, 
but the law of the normal man as made in the like- 
ness of God. 

Sin has swept us away from our moorings, so 
that we are neither where nor what we ought to 
be. The literal meaning of the word "transgres- 
sion" is crossing the line. We have lost our true 
freedom in crossing the lines of our normal life. 
Is an engine free when it leaps the track and speeds 
across the open country? Is it not free rather 
when, achieving the very object of its being, it pur- 
sues its way along the rails constructed for it? Is 
a fish out of water free? Why not? Because it 
is "out of its element." Man in sin is precisely like 
a fish out of water. He, too, is out of his element. 
God intended him to move as easily and joyously 
on his upward course as a planet in its orbit; and 
only here shall he find his freedom, in this perfect 
obedience to perfect law. 

II. Has this Definition of liberty ever been real- 
ized? Once, and once only. 



252 



The Home Sanctuary 



It was exemplified in the life and character of 
Christ, who boldly issued the challenge, "Who 
layeth anything to my charge ?" and received from 
his inquisitor this answer, "I find no fault in him 
at all!" This man has gone into history as the 
Ideal Man, by reason of his absolute and perfect 
obedience to the law of his own being. For this 
he was called "the Son of Man," as indicating what 
a man ought to be. The law of liberty was per- 
fectly exemplified in him. 

He looked into the Scriptures and saw u his nat- 
ural face." In other words, he saw himself with 
the pathway of his earthly life marked out before 
him. He perceived that he had been "sent" into 
the world on a definite errand; namely, to suffer 
and die for our salvation. By the terms of this 
commission he was bound and yet quite free. In 
the volume of the Book, as in a mirror, he saw his 
life in silhouette; his birth, doctrine, miracles, buf- 
ferings, rejection, sufferings and death. u Thus it 
was written of him." 

He filled out that silhouette in its minutest de- 
tails. The ethical imperative was upon him. The 
keynote of his life w T as, "I must!" — "Thus it is 
written and thus it must be." — "The Son of Man 
goeth as it is written of him." — "All things must 
needs be fulfilled." — "He must needs go through 
Samaria." — "The Son of Man must be lifted up, 
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish 
but have everlasting life." Thus he was irresistibly 
bound by an eternal "needs be"; yet within those 



"The Law of Liberty" 253 



bonds he was the freest of the free, because they 
were "the cords of a man." 

He was constantly tempted to deviate from the 
appointed path; but he swerved not a hair's 
breadth. When tempted by Satan in the Wilder- 
ness to accomplish his purpose in some other way, 
his sufficient answer was, "It is written." When 
tempted by the people to accept the Messianic 
crown, he refused because this was not the ap- 
pointed way. When tempted by Peter to further 
his plans by the use of carnaJ weapons, he said, 
"Put up thy sword into the sheath. How then 
should that be accomplished which is written of 
me?" When tempted by his own flesh, in Geth- 
semane, where every tingling nerve and sinew cried 
out against the cup of purple death, he, though 
sweating as it were great drops of blood, acquiesced 
in the Divine purpose, saying, "O my Father, if it 
be not possible that this cup should pass, thy will 
not mine be done !" Thus on he went, straight on, 
with his face set steadfastly toward the cross. That 
was the destination of his normal life. "It is 
finished!" he cried. "I have finished the work 
which thou gavest me to do!" Close the book; 
all is fulfilled. So runs the story of the perfect 
Man. 

Now this conformity of Christ to the law of his 
being was so far from being bondage that it kept 
him in the enjoyment of perfect freedom. And 
this was because he did not approach his task like 
a galley-slave going to the oars, but crying: "Lo, 



254 T HE Home Sanctuary 



I come ! In the volume of the book it is written, 'I 
rejoice to do thy will' !" 

III. In this Definition of liberty we have the 
Secret of a Happy Life. 

The moment a man ceases to cross the Divine 
purpose and voluntarily adjusts himself to the plan 
marked out for him, he becomes free — 

As free as Nature first made man, 
Ere the base laws of servitude began. 

But how shall we discover this Divine purpose 
concerning us? "Search the Scriptures." Here is 
the mirror in which a man "beholds his natural 
face." These are the "Sibylline leaves," in which 
our highest destiny is revealed. The Scriptures 
were intended to show us precisely what we ought 
to be ; and to that end they show us precisely as God 
made us. The chief reason why Coleridge believed 
the Bible to be inspired was because, as he said, "It 
finds me!" He looked in the glass and saw him- 
self there; not his sinful, abnormal self, but his 
"natural face" ; that is, himself as God created him 
and intended him to be. 

And, having seen that outline, the business of an 
earnest life is to complete it. The date of a man's 
conversion from sin to righteousness is when he 
perceives this Divine scheme and hears Reason 
saying, "That is true," and Conscience echoing, 
"That is right" ; and when his Will starts up to re- 
spond, "So be it!" In that moment his chains are 
broken, and he becomes a free man; that is, free 
to recover his lost estate and thus to attain the 



"The Law of Liberty" 255 



noblest and best — since he alone is the free man 
whom the truth makes free. At that instant of 
rebirth he proclaims his independence of all law 
whatsoever, except the higher law, or the law of his 
, own being, which is, by the same token, the law of 
the being of his Father God. 

He is now at liberty to be himself; free to work 
his way back to his Divine birthright; free to ac- 
complish the career that was originally planned for 
him. 

His life is thenceforth like the cruise of Captain 
Evans, who sailed out with the Oregon under 
sealed instructions during the Spanish War. He 
knew nothing of the business in hand until, out of 
sight of land, he opened those instructions and saw 
his cruise mapped out. Then on he sailed in the 
service of his government, with only a single 
thought. A thousand trumpets to right and left 
would have called him in vain. He had read his 
commission and must comply with it. So runs the 
purpose of an earnest life. It knows but one law 
— that law which covers the whole sphere of duty 
as set forth in the Word of God. 

He who has learned that secret has found the 
deepest joy of living. "I will run in the w T ay of 
thy commandments," sang David, "when thou 
shalt enlarge my heart." It is the enlarged heart 
which sees the Divine love at the center of the Di- 
vine law; which transforms "bounden duty" into 
pleasure and hears in the great word "Ought" a 
call to the very feast of God. To serve in that 



256 The Home Sanctuary 



spirit is to reign. To bow down thus is to be ex- 
alted; and to obey is to be free. The wings of a 
life transfigured in this manner are not like those 
of a monoplane, which must be laboriously lifted 
with a vast expenditure of energy, but like the 
wings of an eagle, which bear it aloft exulting to 
kindle its eyes at the noonday sun. 

The line of argument pursued thus far, when ex- 
pressed in terms of practical life, spells Success. 
Any other conception of freedom leads to failure 
in the long run. 

The struggle in the heart of Jean Valjean was at 
this crossing of the ways. He had escaped from 
the galleys and was happy in evading his pursuers 
until he learned that another man, who resembled 
him, had been arrested and was in chains. Then 
the great question confronted him: Should he do, 
at all hazards, what he knew to be right? Should 
he give himself up and return to the intolerable 
anguish of the old, weary days? He decided other- 
wise; and "j-ust there," says Hugo, "he heard an in- 
ternal burst of laughter !" All joy forsook him; 
conscience awoke and shook its finger at him; the 
comfort of living was gone. He had broken the 
law marked out for him as a child of God. At 
length, the burden passing all endurance, he re- 
solved to confess his identity and take the conse- 
quences. And u just there" was where he saw "the 
great light shining" — a light which was no other 
than the shining face of God. 

In the Bible we have the biographies of two 



u The Law of Liberty" 257 



Sauls who parted company at this perfect law. One 
of them was Saul, the King of Israel, who knew 
quite well what God expected of him and yet de- 
liberately chose to carry out his own selfish will. 
The judgment passed upon him was this: "Thou 
hast rejected the Word of the Lord: wherefore 
he hath rent thy kingdom from thee!" Many a 
man has lost his crown and kingdom of manhood 
by insisting on having his own way. 

The other was Saul of Tarsus, who lived at odds 
with the Divine plan until, on a certain memorable 
day, he heard a voice from heaven saying, "It is 
hard for thee to kick against the pricks." He had 
indeed found it "hard" to fight against God. Hard 
is the way of the transgressor, because he is the 
manacled and fettered slave of sin. The turning 
point in the life of this man was when he answered 
the Voice, saying: "Lord, what wilt thou have me 
to do?" The remainder of his days were passed 
in happy obedience to the perfect law, in filling out 
the silhouette of his normal face, revealed in that 
vision as in the mirror of God. And when the end 
came, though under the flash of the headsman's 
ax, it found him glorying in freedom and ready to 
pass on. "I have fought a good fight," he cried; 
"I have finished my course; I have kept the faith. 
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown which 
the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that 
day!" 

A kingdom lost by self-will, or a crown won by 
subjection to the higher law — which shall it be? 



258 The Home Sanctuary 



To win back the lost birthright of my normal 
manhood is to follow Christ, who alone was ab- 
solutely true to the perfect law of liberty. He 
offers his hand to the struggler who has failed, say- 
ing, "Be of good courage; thy sins be forgiven 
thee"; and thenceforth he walks with the pardoned 
sinner as his Exemplar, saying, "Follow me! Lo, 
I am with you alway. Work out your own salva- 
tion ! Work it out to the uttermost and best ; for 
it is God that worketh in you !" To be at one with 
him is to be free. "He is the free man whom the 
Son makes free." And this is to enter into "the 
glorious liberty of the children of God." 

8. PRAYER 

I render thanks to thee, O Lord, for my de- 
liverance from the bondage of sin. Thou 
hast not only blotted out my transgressions, 
but promised to break the chains of evil habit. 
Make me willing, I pray thee, to accept in full 
measure the glorious liberty of thy children. 
Give me the freedom wherewith Christ makes 
free. Amen. 

9. HYMN : "Come, thou Fount of every bless- 

ing." 

10. BENEDICTION 

Grace be unto thee, and mercy and peace 
from God our Father and Jesus Christ our 
Lord. Amen. 



TWENTIETH SERVICE 

A Patchwork Religion 



INVOCATION 

TT is a wonder, O holy God, that a sinner 



J- should be permitted to approach thee. 
But thou hast invited me, and I look for a 
blessing in Jesus' Name. Lift thou up the 
light of thy countenance upon me, and let thy 
peace, which passeth all understanding, come 
into my heart; for thy Name's sake. Amen. 

HYMN: "Come, we that love the Lord." 

SCRIPTURE LESSON 

Isaiah i :i 1-20. 
Matthew 9 : 10-26. 

PRAYER 

O Lord, thou hast searched me and known 
me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine 
uprising; thou understandest my thought afar 
off. This makes me glad, because there are 
no barriers of misunderstanding to be broken 
down when I approach thee. Thou knowest 
my sins, my shortcomings, my blindness and 
deafness, my stumblings, backslidings, and 
wanderings: nevertheless, thou lovest me. I 




259 



260 The Home Sanctuary 

know thou lovest me, because thou earnest all 
the way from heaven to suffer and die for me. 
I know thou wilt hear my prayer for pardon, 
because thou didst bear the shame, penalty, 
and bondage of my sins in thine own body 
on the bitter tree. What shall I render unto 
thee for such immeasurable goodness ? I will 
take the cup of salvation and pay unto thee 
my solemn vows. Make me obedient to thy 
holy will, ready to do or to suffer as pleaseth 
thee. And what I ask for myself I ask for 
thy people everywhere. Give them some 
measure of thy self-denying passion for souls. 
As thou wast sent by the Father to seek and 
to save, so hast thou sent them. Let the feet 
of thy disciples be swift to run and their hands 
eager to help. Prosper thy work, O Lord, 
and hasten the coming of thy Kingdom ; to the 
glory of thine adorable Name. Amen. 

5. HYMN : "Go, labor on, spend and be spent." 

6. OFFERING 

7. THE SERMON 

A Patchwork Religion 

"No man putteth a piece of undressed cloth 
upon an old garment; for that which should fill 
it up taketh from the garment, and a worse rent 
is made. ,, (Matt. 9: 16.) 

A plain truth is here put in a homely way. No 
man, that is, no sensible man, would undertake to 



A Patchwork Religion 261 



repair an old garment with a patch of unfulled 
cloth, because the patch by shrinking would only 
widen the rent, and the tailor would have his labor 
in vain. 

But the religious leaders of the Jews were dis- 
posed to do this very thing. They would cheerfully 
have fallen in with the teachings of Jesus, had he 
been willing to concede that his Gospel was a mere 
addendum to their ceremonial religion. They 
wanted a patchwork religion; but Jesus would have 
no such religion. 

The thing was, in the nature of the case, utterly 
impossible ; for the Gospel is not a sort of galvan- 
ism, but life out of death. 

It is no hyperbole to speak of the sinner as being 
"dead in trespasses and sins." What do we mean 
by physical death? Why do we say of a man in 
his shroud that he is dead? Every particle that 
natural science could take cognizance of is there; 
every atom of lime, carbon, and phosphorus that 
entered into his physical constitution. But some- 
thing has gone out of it. What has gone out of it? 
Physical life. How do we know that ? Because the 
man can no longer perform his physical functions. 
He has eyes, but he can not see ; ears, but he can not 
hear; a heart, but his pulse no longer beats. 

In like manner, when the sinner is spoken of as 
"dead," it is meant that he is incapable of per- 
forming the functions of spiritual life. His brain, 
conscience, will, and heart have no motion toward 
God. Tell him the story of the Cross and he sheds 



262 The Home Sanctuary 



no tears, feels no gratitude, has no personal interest 
in it. 

Just here Christ enters, saying: "I am come that 
ye who are thus dead may have life." This is the 
god-spel, the "good news." The moment a sinner 
comes into vital touch with Christ by faith, he is 
reanimated — that is, "regenerated" — under the in- 
fluence of the Spirit. It is not enough to put a 
placard on the breast of such a man, saying, "Be- 
hold, he lives !" He must be "quickened from the 
dead." So said Jesus, "Except a man be born again 
he can not enter into the kingdom of God." 

The Jews were not alone in their desire for a 
patchwork religion. The Neoplatonists of the 
early Church undertook in like manner to combine 
the Gospel with Greek philosophy. And they have 
had successors all along the ages. 

A "New Theology" of this sort is now being ex- 
ploited in certain quarters. As a matter of fact, 
however, there is nothing new about it. There is 
not an item in the New Theology that has not been 
current in former times. And whatever phase it 
assumes it invariably involves a practical denial 
both of sin as spiritual death, and of the Gospel as 
the power of an endless life. 

I. One form of the New Theology } so called, is 
Antitheism. 

It would hardly do to call it Atheism, since it is 
advocated within the Church ; but it is, to all intents 
and purposes, a denial of God. 

It sometimes takes the name of "Ethical Cul- 



A Patchwork Religion 263 

ture." In this case it emphasizes the duty of build- 
ing character, or making the most of one's self. 
But not even this alluring form of selfishness can 
express the substance of the Gospel, since its primal 
precept is u Look out for Number One." 

At other times it appears under the name of 
"Altruism," or Benevolence. Now it emphasizes 
the duty of each man toward the next man. Its 
cabalistic phrase is "Look out for Number Two." 
And this usually refers not to the spiritual but to 
the physical needs of the other man. 

In both cases it will be observed that there is a 
practical elimination of God. Not, of course, that 
God is denied: But his influence is reduced to a 
minimum so low that, as Laplace said of his system 
of astronomy, "We can manage to get on without 
Him." He is not needed to account for the present 
order of things, because the present order of things 
is accounted for by the calm and uninterrupted 
processes of natural law. He is not needed to work 
miracles, since miracles are discredited, both those 
of Scripture and others. It is true that God is not 
formally renounced or disavowed; but Theism is 
used as a mere conventional patch to cover a hole 
that would otherwise expose the nakedness of the 
system. It need scarcely be said that, within the 
philosophy of Christ, such a bowing of God off 
the premises is impossible, since he is first, last, 
midst and all in all. 

II. A second phase of the New Theology is 
Legalism. 



264 The Home Sanctuary 



We can conceive of but two plans of salvation. 

One is salvation under the Law. The Law is 
good as far as it goes. "He that keepeth it shall 
live by it." But suppose the Law is broken, what 
then ? The result is sin. The sinner is still under 
the Law, and its sentence passes upon him, "The 
soul that sinneth it shall die!" This is spiritual 
death or alienation from God. 

The Law is a hard taskmaster. So far as par- 
don is concerned, it is impossible. u By the deeds 
of the law shall no flesh be justified." To-day's 
obedience can not expiate the disobedience of yes- 
terday; any more than paying cash from now on 
will cancel the accrued debts of a bankrupt. The 
young man who came to Jesus inquiring the way 
of eternal life protested that he had tried earnestly 
to keep the Commandments from his youth up : 
nevertheless, conscious of some mortal deficiency, 
he was moved to cry, "What lack I yet?" What 
was it that he lacked? The assurance of pardoned 
sin. And pardon of sin the Commandments can 
not give. Unless there be an interposition from 
some quarter, the sinner is left to expiate his sin. 
The Law works both ways : "he that doeth the Law 
shall live by the Law"; and, conversely, he that 
breaketh the Law shall die by it. 

The other plan of salvation is under Grace. 
Grace and gratis are cognate words. To believe 
in Christ, who was "wounded for our transgres- 
sions," is to be "healed by his stripes" — healed 
"without money and without price." Our sins are 



A Patchwork Religion 265 



blotted out, sunk in the depths of an unfathomable 
sea, where God shall remember them no more 
against us. On what condition ? Faith ; that is, ac- 
ceptance of the gift. So it is written, "There is 
therefore now no condemnation to them which are 
in Christ Jesus. For the Law of the Spirit of life 
in Christ Jesus made me free from the Law of sin 
and death. For what the Law could not do, in that 
it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own 
Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, con- 
demned sin in the flesh: that the ordinance of the 
Law might be fulfilled in us." Thus the Law, 
which is otherwise a hard taskmaster, becomes u a 
schoolmaster to lead us to Christ." 

But there is no Grace in the philosophy of Legal- 
ism. In so far as Grace is recognized at all, it is a 
mere patch on morality. If heaven is ever won, it 
must be won by personal merit. Far be it from 
those who speak after this manner to deny the 
Grace of God! The full meaning of pardon and 
the imputation of Christ's righteousness is simply 
explained away; and this is done so effectively that 
the sinner is left to the cold mercies of the broken 
Law. 

III. The third phase of the "New Theology" 
is Liberalism; so called, apparently, because of the 
great liberties which it takes with Truth as revealed 
in the Word of God. 

I know of only two ways of arriving at truth; 
one by revelation, and the other by invention. 

The Christian who believes in Revelation rests 



266 The Home Sanctuary 



on the authority of the Word of God. To him a 
"Thus saith the Lord" is final. He professes to 
accept the Bible as his "infallible rule of faith and 
practice/' and acts accordingly. He comes to it like 
a "prospector" with a pick on his shoulder search- 
ing for truth. He does not expect to make gold, 
or to invent it, or to develop it out of his inner con- 
sciousness — only to discover it. He believes the 
gold is there before striking a blow of the pick; 
and he pursues his quest under the direction of his 
Master, who said, "Search the Scriptures because in 
them ye think ye have eternal life; and these are 
they which bear witness of me." 

The "liberal," on the other hand, "makes his 
final appeal," not to the Scriptures, but to his own 
"inner consciousness." This makes truth not a dis- 
covery, but an invention; and every man must in- 
vent it for himself. He is like an alchemist who 
does not go out among the hills prospecting for 
gold, but shuts himself up in his laboratory, with 
crucible and chemicals, and proposes to manufac- 
ture it. 

Of course Liberalism does not renounce the 
Bible; on the contrary, it professes to receive it, 
but not as an infallible rule of faith and practice, 
nor as ultimate authority concerning anything. 
It accepts it as a patch put on personal opinion to 
cover a bad rent in the spiritual wardrobe of the 
free-thinker. Thus the Scriptures are an old wine- 
skin, into which one pours the product of his 
inner consciousness, with the result that the wine- 



A Patchwork Religion 267 



skin breaks and the wine runs out. The attitude 
of the truth-seeker in this case is as hopeless as was 
that of Theodore Parker who, on being reminded 
of what the Scriptures said with reference to a 
vexed question in theology, is reputed to have said : 
"I do not propose to accept that statement on the 
authority of any such person as God." 

IV. The fourth and only remaining phase of 
the "New Theology" to which reference need be 
made } is Ceremonialism. 

We are familiar with two forms of religion in 
these days. One of them has been called "Churchi- 
anity"; the other is Christianity. The former 
consists in outward form, the latter in an inward 
life. 

Far be it from me to say aught against the 
Church. It would not have been founded and 
fostered by Christ had he not intended that all who 
truly love and follow him should come into organic 
connection with it. The Church is his Bride; and 
those who hastily criticise the Church would do 
well to inquire whether the Bridegroom is pleased 
with their criticisms. It remains, however, that to 
depend on Church-membership for salvation is the 
extreme of folly. One may be in the Church and 
not of it. One may call himself a Christian with- 
out being in vital touch with Christ. The Pharisees 
were the best Church-members of their time; yet 
they were spoken of as "whited sepulchers, fair 
without but within full of dead men's bones and all 
uncleanness." Sacraments save no souls. For an 



268 The Home Sanctuary 



unregenerate man or woman to come into the 
Church gives no guarantee of having passed from 
death unto life. 

For Christianity is Life. "The letter killeth, 
but the Spirit giveth life." Profession is one thing, 
regeneration is another. The man who enters the 
church without expecting to be saved by it, but be- 
cause he is saved and desires to ally himself with 
the great fellowship of those who are bound to- 
gether by a common purpose to live for Christ, is 
not simply a "professor" but a follower of Christ. 
Such a man is "alive toward God." 

It is to be feared, however, that there are some 
in our churches who make their Christianity a mere 
patch on Church-membership; who put their real 
reliance not in having their lives hid with Christ in 
God, but in having their names on the roster as 
"members of the church in good and regular stand- 
ing." A hope like this is not only frail, but unde- 
pendable as a spider's web. 

It means something to be a Christian; something 
very true and serious. It means, to begin with, an 
absolute and unreserved surrender to Christ, in pur- 
suance of his word, "No man can serve two mas- 
ters." It means the sense of free pardon as against 
all works of both the moral and the ceremonial law. 
It means sanctification by the Spirit as against all 
cherished sin ; in other words, loyal and faithful 
service in co-operation with the Spirit of God. 

Our religion is an exclusive one; as exclusive as 
light is exclusive of darkness; as momentum is ex- 



A Patchwork Religion 269 



elusive of inertia; as life is exclusive of death. 
There can be no patchwork in these premises. It 
would be as wise to suggest that light is a patch 
put upon darkness. At the rising of the sun all 
shadows flee, like ghosts across the hills. So at the 
coming of Christ everything else goes. He is made 
unto us wisdom and righteousness, sanctification 
and redemption. He fills the horizons of life. 
He becomes all in all. 

The man who was found at the Marriage Sup- 
per without the robe which the king's chamberlain 
had provided for all guests, was reproved by the 
king, in this wise: "How earnest thou in hither not 
having on the wedding garment?" To have an- 
swered, "My robe is of the finest, and is adorned 
with jewels," would have been foolishly vain. How 
much less valid would be the excuse of one who 
should intrude upon the heavenly feast in a patch- 
work garment, where the guests are clothed in fine 
linen, clean and white; of whom it is written, 
"These are they that come out of the great tribula- 
tion, and they washed their robes and made them 
white in the blood of the Lamb." 

8. PRAYER 

O Lord, deliver me from vain show and 
pretense in my religious life. Give me a sin- 
cere desire for truth and righteousness. Plant 
my feet on the King's highway; lead me clear 
to heaven's gate ; and grant me an abundant 



270 The Home Sanctuary 

entrance, in the name of my Redeemer. 
Amen. 

9. HYMN: "Take my life and let it be conse- 

crated, Lord, to thee." 

10. BENEDICTION 

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the 
love of God, and the communion of the Holy 
Ghost be with you. Amen. 



TWENTY-FIRST SERVICE 



Bad Habits 

1. INVOCATION 

lessed Lord, enable me to worship thee 
aright in praise and prayer. Open unto 
me the Scriptures, and help me so to read, 
mark, learn, and inwardly digest, that by pa- 
tience and the comfort of thy Holy Word I 
may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed 
hope of everlasting life which thou hast given 
in Jesus Christ. Amen. 

2. HYMN : "How sweet the name of Jesus 

sounds !" 

3. SCRIPTURE LESSON 

Proverbs 1 : 10-23. 
Matthew 5 :i-i6. 

4. PRAYER 

I give thee hearty thanks, most merciful 
Father, for all thy goodness. If I were to 
count thy blessings, lo ! they are like the sands 
of the seashore for multitude. But best and 
greatest is thine unspeakable gift of salvation 
271 




272 The Home Sanctuary 



in Christ. Love so amazing, so divine, de- 
mands my soul, my life, my all. Forgive my 
sins, I pray thee, for the sake of him on whom 
were laid the iniquities of all. I confess that 
I have not only broken thy holy Law, but 
have come short of thy glory continually. 
Have mercy, Lord; O Lord, forgive; let a 
repenting rebel live. I am a great sinner, but. 
thou art a great Saviour; wherefore I confi- 
dently look to thee for pardon and for sus- 
taining grace. Keep back thy servant hence- 
forth from presumptuous sins; let them not 
have dominion over me. Break the chains of 
evil habit and safeguard me against my be- 
setting sins. Show me the footprints of the 
faultless Son of Man, and enable me to fol- 
low them. Thou knowest my heart; search 
me and see if I desire not to run in the way 
of thy commandments. Give me all the 
graces of character, that in my walk and con- 
versation I may adorn the doctrine of Christ; 
crown them with charity without which a 
Christian profession is as sounding^rass or 
a tinkling cymbal. The sum of my desires is 
to be like Christ. Let his mind be in me. 
And let all who belong to his great household 
be like minded with him. So let righteous- 
ness prevail among thy people, and through 
them overspread the earth. And to thy great 
Name, O ever-blessed Triune God, shall be 
eternal praise. Amen. 



Bad Habits 



273 



5. HYMN: "Am I a soldier of the Cross?" 

7. THE SERMON 

Bad Habits 

"Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the 
leopard his spots ? then may ye also do good that 
are accustomed to do evil." (Jer. 13: 23.) 

Now this is everybody's sermon. Its subject is 
"Bad Habits"; and we all have them. 

In some they are more conspicuous than in 
others. The drunkard, for example, bears a plac- 
ard before and behind him, like a "sandwich 
man" ; and his breath cries aloud, "I've been drink- 
ing; look at me!" And this is only one of a long 
catalogue of vices that redden the eyes and seethe 
the flesh. 

On the other hand, there are vices such as envy, 
avarice, and sordidness, that dress well, walk erect, 
and pass as eminently respectable; but let no such 
sinner look askance at drabs and drunkards, say- 
ing: "God, I thank thee that I am not as these!" 
For God's thoughts are not as our thoughts, and he 
has given us to understand quite clearly that vulgar 
sins and respectable sins are alike in his eyes. 

The word "habit" has in it the sum and sub- 
stance of my sermon. It comes from the Latin 
habere, meaning "to have." A habit is a thing 
that grips us, fits us. There is a figure of singular 
felicity in the word, which makes it applicable to 
both clothes and character. A habit of riding is 
not synonymous with "a riding habit"; but the 
word describes them equally well. We wear our 



274 The Home Sanctuary 



habits as we wear our clothes ; yet, there are some 
differences worth noting. 

For one thing, we can not acquire our habits as 
we do our clothes. 

We can not buy them either "ready-made" or 
"made-to-order." One may get a reputation in 
this manner at any newspaper office, but not a 
character; for, while a character is an outfit of habit, 
a reputation is only what people say about us. The 
latter is provided by our neighbors, whether we 
will or not; but the former is always home-made. 
Here every man is his own tailor. 

The making begins with a single act, which by 
successive repetitions grows into a "habit," custom, 
or "costume," so that we put it on and wear it. 
There is a reference to this process in the familiar 
saying, "Sow an act and reap a habit; sow a habit 
and reap a character; sow a character and reap a 
destiny," and also in Shakespeare's words, "How 
use doth breed a habit in a man!" 

Take profanity, for example, which is the mean- 
est and most gratuitous of common sins. The first 
time a profane person takes the name of God in 
vain, it shocks and startles him; but^fter years 
of practice, the oath easily dribbles from his lips. 

Or, take avarice. No man is born a miser. He 
begins with the gripping of his first dollar when he 
cries, "It is mine, and I mean to keep it !" He gets 
and saves and hoards until at length, his soul turns 
yellow, and he looks with jaundiced eyes upon the 
yellow god. 



Bad Habits 



275 



Or, take drunkenness. The youth who has re- 
cently left home, on yielding to the temptation of 
the first glass, sees a viper at the bottom of it, and 
hears his mother's voice saying, "Look not upon 
the wine when it is red." It was so with Robert 
Burns when he first met Souter Johnny in Tarn 
O'Shanter's Inn. The glass of spirits burned his 
throat. But as time passed the appetite grew upon 
him so that he was finally moved to say, "If there 
were a barrel of rum in one corner of this room 
and a loaded cannon in the other, I would risk the 
mortal danger to get my glass of rum." 

Or take sensuality. The first time you attended 
the theater and saw an unclean play, do you remem- 
ber how you flushed to the roots of your hair? But 
you have grown accustomed to that sort of thing : 
so that now it would take a good deal to make you 
change color, wouldn't it? 

Or take unbelief. You were educated in a Chris- 
tian household, where reverence was paid to sacred 
things. The first time you heard the denial of God 
or of God's Word, of Christ or his Atonement, 
your soul rose up in arms ; but you have been read- 
ing flings at religion in the newspapers and else- 
where so long that you now take them as a matter 
of course, and do not hesitate yourself on occasion 
to make light of religious things. So true is it that 
use doth breed a habit in a man. Vice is, indeed — 

A monster of so frightful mien 
As to be hated needs but to be seen ; 
Yet, seen too oft, familiar with her face: 
We first endure, then pity, then embrace, 



276 The Home Sanctuary 



It is thus that we make our moral outfit, like a suit 
of clothes, and put it on and feel more and more 
comfortable as we wear it. 

But there is another point, whereat our morals 
differ from our clothes ; to wit, we can not dispose 
of them at will. 

It is easy enough to say, U I will quit," but not so 
easy to do it. There is truth in the old saying, 
"Hell is paved with good resolutions," as many a 
malefactor has discovered to his sorrow. And even 
if it were possible to make an end of one abomi- 
nable thing, where would be the gain, so long as the 
root of evil remains in us? It is like cutting back 
a thorn-bush, only to have the strength of the am- 
putated twig show itself in a more vigorous growth 
at some other point. For habit is simply an out- 
growth of sin; and good resolutions are mere local 
applications that do not reach the seat and center 
of it. 

Nor can a bad habit be worn out. 

On the contrary, the longer we wear it the bet- 
ter it wears. And the longer we wear it the better 
it fits. It adjusts itself like a garmentio the creases 
and sinuosities of mind and conscience; so that 
whereas it chafed at first it now "fits like a glove," 
as we say, and "is as easy as an old shoe." The 
older it grows the better we like it. Custom be- 
comes "second nature." That which once required 
an effort is done at length without thought and in- 
voluntarily. 

One of the riders in a recent bicycle race at 



Bad Habits 



277 



Madison Square Garden fell asleep on the fifth 
day, and kept moving automatically around the 
course. Such is the force of habit. 

A missionary, engaged in rescue work among 
the criminal classes, succeeded in bringing a con- 
firmed pickpocket to repentance. After years of 
earnest effort to reform, with occasional lapses into 
his besetting sin, the man lay dying. As the mis- 
sionary was making the last prayer at his bedside 
he heard the dying man whisper, "Look out for 
your watch !" and found that the man's hand was 
stealthily moving toward it. Thus was the ruling 
passion strong in death. 

But perhaps our bad habits will die with us? 
Impossible ! I remember a saint grown gray in the 
service of Christ, who was fond of singing, as the 
shadows fell — 

The day is past and gone, 

The evening shades appear; 
Oh, may we all remember well 

The night of death draws near. 
We lay our garments by, 

Upon our beds to rest; 
So death will soon disrobe us all 

Of what is here possessed. 

But we can not lay off our bad habits at death as 
"we lay our garments by." Having become our 
"second nature" they must go with us into the life 
beyond. 

They are like the robe of Nessus which was 
dipped in the blood of the hydra and given to Her- 
cules by his wife. At first it was not uncomforta- 



278 The Home Sanctuary 



ble; but presently when, the poison having pene- 
trated his body, he would have divested himself of 
it, he found that it had become so interwoven with 
his nerves and sinews, that, driven to despair, he 
lighted his funeral pyre and died in the vain effort 
to destroy the fatal garment. 

The thing that we call death is not revolution- 
ary; it is simply the separation of soul and body. 
A man then moves out of the house which he had 
been living in; and all that is himself passes on. 
Wherefore it is written, "He that is righteous let 
him be righteous still, and he that is holy let him be 
holy still; he that is unjust let him be unjust still, 
and he that is filthy let him be filthy still." 

And after that, what? Every one "to his own 
place" ; that is, to the place for which his habits and 
aptitudes, or, in other words, his character, shall 
have fitted him. It is related of Casper Hauser 
that, having been born in a dungeon and confined 
there without light from the outer world until his 
seventeenth year, he was then released only to find 
that the light smote upon his eyg£ with an insuffer- 
able pain, and the sounds of the streets fell like a 
crash of thunder in his ears; so that he begged to 
be taken back to prison, because the dismal silence 
and solitude were more tolerable than the comforts 
of freedom and normal life. 

The reason why the thought of death is terrible 
to many is not because it ushers us into the un- 
known, but because it ends probation by crystalliz- 
ing character and so "fixes us in an eternal state." 



Bad Habits 



279 



As the tree falleth, so also must it lie. Eternity 
finds us as death leaves us. The soul must needs, 
therefore, go to its own place. The gates of heaven 
are always open; but those who wander in outer 
darkness would find only an added misery were 
they to enter in. To such as are confirmed in sin 
there must, of necessity, be one place more insuf- 
ferable than hell ; that place is heaven, where truth 
and righteousness prevail and all are engaged in the 
pure worship of God. 

It would appear that the case, then, is a des- 
perate one. If a character made up of evil habits 
can not be laid aside at will, nor worn out, nor re- 
moved by death, what shall the sinner do ? There 
is obviously nothing to be done but to call upon 
God. Our extremity is his opportunity. It was 
because there was no eye to pity and no arm to save 
that God made bare his arm on Calvary in our be- 
half. His only-begotten Son came to break every 
chain and bid the oppressed go free. He who lifts 
up his eyes to the hills, in his extremity, will find 
that the things that are impossible with men are 
possible with God. 

The first thing that God does to help the man 
who, through indulgence in evil habits, has brought 
himself to a hopeless state, is to blot out his sin. 
And nothing further is possible until this has been 
done. For though a man were set upon his feet, 
proof against all possibility of further sin, the rec- 
ord of the mislived past would still remain against 
him. That reckoning must be met; and what a 



280 The Home Sanctuary 



hopeless handicap is here to him who would set 
forth upon a career of holy living! But "come 
now, saith the Lord, and let us reason together; 
though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as 
white as snow, and though they be red like crim- 
son they shall be as wool." Blessed be the 
fountain of blood! The handicap is off! The 
ball and chain are removed! Here is no pris- 
oner out on ticket-of-leave, but a sinner pardoned 
and set free. There is now no condemnation to 
them that are in Christ Jesus. God has so forgiven 
the past that he will remember it no more against 
us. 

The next thing that Christ does is to enable us to 
get the better of our evil tendencies. He grants us 
his continual presence, saying, u Lo, I am with you 
alway." He buttresses our weakness with omnip- 
otence, so that we are able to say, "When I am 
weak, then am I strong, because the power of God 
resteth upon me." 

And still further he supplants the evil habits with 
new and better ones. In" this is illustrated what 
Chalmers calls u the expulsive power of a new affec- 
tion." Our Lord gives us better work to do. He 
puts a sickle in our hands and, pointing to the vine- 
yard, says, "Go work to-day." The "old man of 
sin" grows weaker as "the new man in Christ 
Jesus" grows stronger. The old character fades 
out as the new T takes on the color of the mind of 
Christ. This is sanctification. Old things thus pass 
away, and, behold, all things become new. We 



Bad Habits 



281 



form new habits of prayer, of Bible study, of de- 
vout meditation and of service in the Kingdom, and 
become more and more engrossed in them. 

Is not this better than merely to cut out a bad 
habit here and there, with a good resolution, only 
to find that the root is ever throwing out new sprouts 
of sin? As the frost gathers upon your windows, 
would you undertake to remove it with a knife- 
blade? Would it not be more effective to kindle a 
fire on your hearth and melt it? In like manner 
evil thoughts and tendencies vanish when the heart 
is made right with God. 

What, then, is the conclusion of the matter? I 
say, u Come to Jesus." But here again the force of 
habit dulls the meaning of that word of invitation 
and makes it sound like an oft-told tale. For there 
are those who have grown accustomed to rejecting 
Christ. There was a time, perhaps, in a revival 
long ago, when you heard the preacher say, "Come 
to Jesus," and you thought seriously about it but 
did not act; and later there came another oppor- 
tunity and again you put it aside; and so it will be, 
year after year, until the habit of refusal has grown 
upon you. 

There is an oriental story of an alchemist who, 
hearing that the philosopher's stone could be found 
near a certain river, strolled along its bank, with 
magnet in hand, testing successively all the pebbles 
he found. As, one by one, they made no response 
to the magnet, he flung them into the river. At 
length he found the pebble that when touched be- 



282 The Home Sanctuary 



came yellow in his hand ; but alas ! he had become 
so accustomed to the movement that this also was 
thrown into the river, and his golden opportunity 
was lost. 

So come and go the eventful moments of life. 
So come the visions of an open heaven and beckon- 
ing hands. So once and again we hear the voice 
of Jesus calling, "Come unto me!" Alas for him 
who, by force of habit, rejects the last call, quenches 
the spirit and loses the possibility of life. 

Once more then, by Divine commission I say, 
"Come to Jesus !" He alone can deliver from the 
bondage of evil habit and eradicate its root of sin. 
The invitation is yours; will you heed it? 

8. PRAYER 

Grant thy blessing upon this service, O 
Lord, and form within me a deeper hatred 
of sin and love of holiness. Help me to keep 
myself unspotted from the world, that I may 
be presented faultless before thy throne, 
clothed in the^ righteousness of Christ. 
Strengthen me for duty and refresh me with 
thy grace ; for the Redeemer's sake. Amen. 

9. HYMN: "What a friend we have in Jesus!" 

10. BENEDICTION 

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the 
Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, be 
with you. Amen. 



TWENTY-SECOND SERVICE 



A Sinful Thought 

1. INVOCATION 

f \ thou High and Holy One, who hast 
L/ invited me to this communion, help me to 
enter thy presence with a penitent, believing, 
loving heart. And be pleased to lift upon me 
the light of thy countenance ; for Jesus' sake. 
Amen. 

2. HYMN: "My faith looks up to Thee." 

3. SCRIPTURE LESSON 

Psalm 34. 
Acts 8:5-24. 

4. PRAYER 

Almighty and everlasting God, I thank 
thee for the great salvation that was accom- 
plished on Calvary for all the children of men. 
I thank thee for the gracious proffer of its 
benefits on the sole and simple condition of 
faith in thy beloved Son. I thank thee for 
thy Church, endued with power from on high, 
and sent forth to proclaim the Evangel unto 
the uttermost parts of the earth. O God,, 
stimulate thy people to more earnest zeal in 
the propagation of thy Gospel. Send laborers 
into the harvest and grant a great ingather- 
283 



284 The Home Sanctuary 

ing, so that thy garners may be full. Incline 
the hearts of the impenitent to close in with 
thine overtures of mercy. Give great power 
to thy Word as it is preached to-day. Let 
those who minister in thy Name hide them- 
selves behind the Cross, and so lift up Christ 
that multitudes shall be drawn unto him. Let 
the humblest of thy servants be ready to serve 
faithfully and patiently in his appointed place. 
Oh, that all were willing to run at thy com- 
mand ! Help me, Lord, to be true to my con- 
victions. Save me from sin, from wandering, 
from spiritual indifference. If I know my 
own heart, I sincerely desire to glorify thee 
to-day, in my home-life and in my relations 
with those about me. I would realize that I 
am my brother's keeper. I can not live or die 
alone; because others are ever taking knowl- 
edge of me. I pray that they may take 
knowledge that I have been with Jesus. Let 
them b^jattracted to him by his graces re- 
flected in me. Hear and answer for his 
Name's sake. Amen. 

5. HYMN : "There is a green hill far away." 

6. OFFERING 

7. SERMON 

A Sinful Thought 

"Now when Simon saw that through the lay- 
ing on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was 



A Sinful Thought 285 



given, he offered them money, saying, 'Give me 
also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, 
he may receive the Holy Spirit.' But Peter said 
unto him, 'Thy silver perish with thee, because 
thou hast thought to obtain the gift of God 
with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in 
this matter: for thy heart is not right before 
God. Repent therefore of this wickedness; and 
pray the Lord, if perhaps the thought of thy 
heart may be forgiven thee.' " (Acts 8: 18-22.) 

The man here referred to as u Simon the 
Sorcerer" was a native of Cyprus, who claimed to 
be an emanation from God. He was a clever mas- 
ter of "the black art." He traveled about from 
city to city, performing feats of magic, and was 
familiarly known as u The Great Power of God." 

In the city of Samaria he met his match. Philip, 
a lay evangelist, fleeing from persecution in Je- 
rusalem, had come hither to preach the Gospel, and 
the people flocked to hear him. The sorcerer was 
amazed. Here was a man who wrought wonders 
that put all his tricks of legerdemain into the shade. 
Signs and miracles ! The sick were healed, demons 
were exorcised, the blind received their sight. 

What should Simon do? Clever man! He 
joined the church. His purpose was to discover the 
secret of Philip's power and appropriate it. How 
can the unworthy be prevented from thus assuming 
the livery of heaven? The tares and the wheat 
must grow together; God alone can prevent it. 

But a greater surprise still awaited the sorcerer. 
In order to relieve the burden laid upon Philip by 



286 The Home Sanctuary 



the increasing interest in Samaria, two men, Peter 
and John, were sent from Jerusalem to assist him. 
Then, wonder on wonder ! By the laying of their 
hands on believers they conferred the singular gifts 
known as charismata — the gift of tongues, the 
gift of prophecy, the gift of interpretation. Simon 
was amazed beyond measure. He was familiar 
with wizardry and Pythian demonstrations of every 
sort; but here was such magic as he had never 
dreamed of — visions, miracles, diversities of gifts ! 

Now what should he do? Clever man, again! 
He would buy the secret. Accordingly he offered 
a sum of money to the Apostles, saying, "Give me 
also this charism." But Peter said, "Thy silver 
perish with thee ! Thou hast neither part nor lot 
in this matter; for thy heart is not right before 
God. Repent, therefore, and pray the Lord that 
the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee." 

The "thought of the heart" of this man is now 
to be considered. His name is linked etymologi- 
cally withvtlie sin of "simony," which is defined to 
be "the illegal sale or purchase of ecclesiastical liv- 
ings or benefices." But the sin of Simon lay far 
deeper than that. It was in "the thought of his 
heart"; and the thought of his heart was precisely 
identical with the chief heresy of our time, which is 
the denial of the supernatural. We are asked to 
believe that all things occur by the calm processes 
of natural law. It is practically insisted that noth- 
ing is worthy of credence that can not be verified 
by the test of the physical senses. This means a 



A Sinful Thought 287 



world without God, man evolved from frogspawn, 
a Bible without inspiration, and a religion without 
miracles. The statement is not overdrawn. We 
note on every side the effort to explain away every- 
thing that lies beyond the reach of our eyes, ears 
and fingers. 

The thought of the heart of Simon is the basic 
thought of Naturalism in every age. It is the key- 
note of the philosophy of Laplace, who, on being 
reproved by Napoleon in this wise, "I see no men- 
tion of God in your philosophy," answered, "Ah, 
there lies its chief excellence ; it leaves no room for 
God!" 

In pursuance of this thought the sorcerer was 
led into a series of grievous errors. 

The first was a Wrong View of the Profession 
of Religion. 

He joined the church without a change of heart. 
By the mere entering of his name on the church- 
roll he became "a member in good and regular 
standing" ; but his heart was not right before God. 
He may have deceived himself; he certainly de- 
ceived others. He was a mask-wearer, being in the 
church but not of it. 

Is it not said, "He believed" ? It is, indeed; but 
it is written, "The devils also believe and tremble." 
Faith is always orthodox; but it does not follow 
that orthodoxy is always faith. It is not enough 
that one should intellectually apprehend and assent 
to the historic facts of Christianity. Religion is a 
matter of the heart; for "with the heart man be- 



288 



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lieveth unto righteousness." This is the meaning 
of Christ's saying, "Except ye eat the flesh of the 
Son of Man and drink his blood, ye have not life 
in yourselves"; that is, Christ is to be apprehended 
as food is eaten and assimilated, so that it enters 
into our very nerve, sinew, blood, and every-day 
life. He who truly believes must be able to say, 
U I no longer live, but Christ liveth in me." 

It is stated, also, that the sorcerer was "bap- 
tized." But here we note another of his misap- 
prehensions. He seems to have regarded baptism 
as merely the initiatory rite of admission into the 
Church. The water was mere water to him; a sort 
of magical outward form. He did not perceive 
that it signified the washing away of sins; where- 
fore Peter said, u For I see that thou art in the gall 
of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity." He was 
baptized but unconverted. His heart was not right 
before God. 

It is said, also, that "he continued" with Philip 



with them on their itineraries, and his conversion 
was, no doubt, heralded as a triumph of redeeming 
grace. There was nothing in it, however, but dumb 
show ; for God looketh on the heart, and Simon at 
heart was an unchanged man. 

It was a rare exchange of courtesies that is said 
to have passed between Sir Walter Raleigh and his 
executioner. "Which way, Sir Walter, wilt thou 
lay thy head upon the block?" — "So that my heart 
be right, friend, it matters not which way my head 




He attended the meetings, went 



A Sinful Thought 289 



lies." Far be it from us to belittle the importance 
of a creed; but there is many a true Christian who, 
while unable to discriminate between the Nicene 
and Athanasian symbols, can truly say, "Yea, Lord, 
thou knowest that I love thee!" 

The second mistake made by Simon, growing out 
of the materialistic thought of his heart, was a 
Wrong View of Religious Experience. 

He believed that the operations of the Spirit 
could be accounted for on natural grounds. 

A recent book by a learned scientist, on the Phe- 
nomena of Religious Experience, places the Chris- 
tian's joy of salvation in the same category with the 
frenzy of voodoo priests and howling dervishes. 
This is of a piece with the prevailing tendency, in 
certain quarters, to obliterate the line between the 
natural and the supernatural, reduce Christ to the 
level of other teachers, and account for everything 
without a personal and self-revealing God. 

The initial phenomenon of Christian experience 
is repentance. A man becomes sensible of sin, its 
shame and bondage and inevitable penalty; and he 
stands like the publican with fallen face, beating 
upon his breast and crying, "God be merciful to me 
the sinner!" To the looker-on, who regards sin as 
a mere disease, or, as the Christian Scientist would 
say, u a belief of mortal mind," this cry for mercy 
is an evidence of hypochondria. The penitent is in 
the doldrums — that is all ! 

And then Conversion. What is that? The 
Simonist says it is "turning over a new leaf." It 



290 The Home Sanctuary 



is resolving to tell the truth and pay one's debts 
and behave justly toward one's fellow-men. In 
other words, it is purely a human procedure — a 
mere whitewashing or veneering, at best. As such, 
it falls quite within the province of Simon's jug- 
glery. "Presto, change!" Far different is the 
teaching of Jesus, u Verily, verily, I say unto you, 
except one be born anew, he can not see the King- 
dom of God." And except a man be born of water 
and the Spirit, that is, of cleansing and quicken- 
ing, "he can not enter into the Kingdom of God." 
In this view of the matter all is supernatural, all is 
miraculous. "Not by might nor by power but by 
my Spirit, saith the Lord." All is mysterious; 
"The wind bloweth where it will and thou hearest 
the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh 
and whither it goeth : so is every one that is born 
of the Spirit." The question raised in our time as 
to the supernatural in conversion is precisely the old 
question of Pentecost, to wit, new wine versus a 
new heart. If God were to make bare his arm in 
our sight, and reaching into the breast of a sinner 
take out a cold heart of stone and replace it with 
a living heart of flesh, it would be no more a mir- 
acle than that which he performs in the case of 
every man who is truly converted from sin to 
righteousness and brought into the Kingdom of 
God. 

And after Conversion comes Sanctification. It 
is an error to think of Sanctification as a mere 
growth in the passive graces of character. It is 



A Sinful Thought 



291 



really the lifelong development of a Divine fervor 
in the soul. It is a constant approach to the mind 
of Jesus, who said, "The zeal for thy house shall 
eat me up." It is a growing apprehension of the 
fact that the world is nothing and Christ is all. 
It comes by the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire ; 
and the fire kindles the whole man, more and more, 
until the world says of him, as Festus did of Paul, 
u Thou art beside thyself !" Call in Simon to explain 
the earnestness of a Christian, and he will point 
you to the voodoos and the dervishes. Ask him to 
explain the power of Peter at Pentecost, or of 
Whitefield in the open fields near London, or of 
Moody in the presence of penitent multitudes, and 
he will call it animal or psychic magnetism. But the 
pagans themselves were wiser than this; in their 
endeavor to account for the thunderbolt, they must 
needs call in Jupiter Tonans; even to them there 
was a God behind it. 

The third mistake growing out of the thought 
of Simon's heart was a Wrong View of the Bene- 
fits of Religion. 

He regarded it as a purchasable commodity; as 
Peter said, "Thou hast thought to obtain the gift 
of God with money/' It is true that "Godliness is 
profitable for all things" ; but it is beyond human 
power to purchase it. 

There are many things that current coin will 
buy ; such as lands and houses, fine raiment, books 
and pictures, a table spread with dainties and fruits 
"in season and out of season," pleasure of every 



292 The Home Sanctuary 



sort, popularity, political preferment, a seat in the 
upper house of Congress or an ecclesiastical "liv- 
ing." It will build schools, hospitals and libraries 
with the donor's name on the archway. It will 
crown the buyer's fame with a splendid tomb and 
a glowing epitaph, "Here lies Croesus, Friend of 
Humanity and Servant of God." 

But there are many things our currency will not 
buy. It may buy reputation, but not character; 
adulation, but not self-respect; position, but not a 
cubit of moral stature ; luxury, but not an extension 
of life. The last words of Elizabeth were, "Mil- 
lions of money for an inch of time!" But there 
was not money enough in the exchequer of England 
to purchase it. The world is enveloped with an 
atmosphere fifty miles deep; but all the power of 
the mighty queen could not buy a single breath 
of it. 

And the Gift of God ! That is beyond purchase. 
It is unspeakably precious, yet absolutely free. It 
is free as the air, which is conditioned only on our 
breathing it. Free as the water, which is con- 
ditioned only on our drinking it. "Ho, every one 
that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that 
hath no money ; come ye, buy and eat ; yea, come, 
buy wine and milk without money and without 
price!" God's grace is to be had for the taking. 
Nevertheless, the world is full of would-be buyers; 
flagellants, lashing their bodies for the sins of their 
souls in the hope of making merit to admit them 
to the Kingdom of God; moralists hoping to pur- 



A Sinful Thought 293 



chase the unpurchasable with works of supereroga- 
tion, forgetful of what the Master said, "This is 
the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he 
hath sent"; ceremonialists, making long prayers, 
and paying tithes of mint, anise and cummin, as if 
religion were an empty form, and God could be 
propitiated by it. 

He who has truly apprehended the mystery of 
grace is like the lad who stood at the door of the 
king's conservatory, gazing wistfully at the clusters 
of grapes. He had saved his scant pennies to buy 
for his sick mother; and seeing the gardener, as he 
supposed, he made the proffer. It was not the 
gardener, however, but the king himself who an- 
swered, u You are mistaken; this is the royal con- 
servatory; the king is not a seller, but a giver; and 
he gives right royally. Open your arms!" So is 
the grace of God. Let all who think, like Simon, 
to receive heaven as a quid pro quo, be advised that 
God is a Giver and gives right royally. His grace 
is gratis; and all who are willing may have it. 

One more mistake the sorcerer made; to wit, in 
his Petition for Pardon. 

"Pray ye the Lord for me, that none of these 
things of which ye have spoken, come upon me!" 
To his mind, sin was naught and penalty was all. 
Thus to the last his heart was wrong before God. 

And when Peter said, "Repent of this thy wick- 
edness ; and pray the Lord, if perhaps the thought 
of thy heart may be forgiven thee," the "if" and 
"perhaps" were applicable not to God's pardoning 



294 The Home Sanctuary 



grace, but to the more than doubtful penitence of 
Simon. For there is no "if" or "perhaps" in the 
Gospel of grace. I have sought in vain, in current 
hymnaries, for a hymn that was familiar in my boy- 
hood days; and I rejoice that I can not find it. 

I'll to the gracious King approach, 

Whose scepter pardon gives; 
Perhaps, he may command my touch 

And then the suppliant lives. 
Perhaps he may admit my plea, 

Perhaps may hear my prayer ; 
But if I perish, I will go 

And perish only there. 
I can but perish if I go; 

I am resolved to try; 
For if I stay away, I know 

I must forever die. 

All such "ifs" and "perhapses" are born of little 
faith. The promise of God is Yea and Amen. The 
sin of Simon would have been pardoned on the in- 
stant had he thrown himself upon the grace of 
God. As it was, his penitence was but a summer 
cloud. Pliny says that he resumed his vocation as 
a sorcerer and was eminently successful ; that after 
a splendid career in Rome he died from a fall, 
while attempting an ascension, and was buried on 
an island in the Tiber; and that his tomb was in- 
scribed Simoni Deo Sancto; "To Simon the Holy 
God." 

The work of the Evangel which stirred the 
avaricious curiosity of Simon in the city of Samaria 
is going on continually about us. The world is 



A Sinful Thought 295 



being transformed by it. God is doing marvelous 
things. Men are repenting, being converted and 
passing under the baptism of fire. What shall we 
think of it? Is it natural or supernatural? Is it 
legerdemain or is it the work of God? 

If it be of God, it behooves all thoughtful people 
to fall in line with it. To accept the interpretation 
of those who undertake to explain away its super- 
natural character and "turn God out of doors, " is 
to fall into mortal error and run upon the bosses of 
the shield of the Almighty. If the explanation of 
Christ himself be true, he is the only Saviour, and 
there is no other rational course but to take up the 
cross and follow him. 

8. PRAYER 

O Lord, I am prone to vain and unworthy 
thoughts of thee. Enlarge my heart, clarify 
my vision, and bring my whole life into per- 
fect accord with thy beneficent plans. Help 
me to love thee with a pure and fervent heart, 
and to serve thee faithfully ; for the Saviour's 
sake. Amen. 

9. HYMN: u Take my heart, O Father, take it!" 

10. BENEDICTION 

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the 
love of God, and the communion of the Holy 
Spirit be with you. Amen. 



TWENTY-THIRD SERVICE 



The Golden Silence 

1. INVOCATION 

OGod, my Father, enable me to serve thee 
this day with a willing and a cheerful 
mind. Meet me at its threshold with a bless- 
ing, and enable me to worship thee in the 
beauty of holiness ; for Jesus' sake. Amen. 

2. HYMN: "J°y to the world, the Lord is 

come." 

3. SCRIPTURE LESSON 

Exodus 20:1-21. 
Luke 20:1-26. 

4. PRAYER 

O God, reigning in light and glory unap- 
proachable, I thank thee for the manifesta- 
tion of thyself in thy holy Word. Thou 
mightest have withdrawn into thy secret place, 
and left me to grope vainly after thee like a 
blind man feeling his way along a wall; but 
thou hast drawn the veil so that all who seek 
may find thee. Blessed be thy Name for thy 
holy Word, wherein thou hast fully revealed 
thy gracious plans. Thou seest how the Ad- 
versary is continually assailing this citadel of 
Truth: bring thou his purposes to naught; 
296 



The Golden Silence 297 



yea, overrule them for thine own greater 
glory. Thou seest how simple souls are taken 
up in the lips of talkers and beguiled into un- 
belief. Direct the steps of thy little ones, that 
they go not astray. Incline the hearts of those 
who profess thy Name to search the Scrip- 
tures with all diligence and sincerity, because 
the entrance of thy Word giveth light. En- 
able me to search so as to read thy love be- 
tween the lines. Let thy written Word make 
me acquainted more and more with the Incar- 
nate Word. Help me to see the face of my 
Saviour in its pages — the face that was so 
marred, yet so divinely beautiful. And has- 
ten the time when the whole world shall have 
access to thy Word. Send forth thy truth, 
O Lord, into the regions of darkness. Cast 
down Dagon from his throne and let the 
heathen bow at thy footstool. Rule thou, O 
God of Salvation, from the river even unto 
the ends of the earth. And the glory shall be 
thine forever and ever. Amen. 

5. HYMN : "Majestic sweetness sits enthroned." 

6. OFFERING 

7. THE SERMON 

The Golden Silence 
"And the high-priest stood up, and said unto 
him, 'Answerest thou nothing V But Jesus held 
his peace." (Matt. 26:63.) 

I AM glad I'm a Christian for many reasons, but 



298 The Home Sanctuary 



chiefly for these two: because in Christ I have a 
Saviour who delivers from sin and a Counsellor 
who teaches all that is necessary for time and eter- 
nity. 

He came into the world "to bear witness to the 
truth." He was the Incomparable Teacher. His 
words were wonderful and his silence was no 
less so. It was eloquent silence. He knew when 
to speak and when to hold his peace. He could 
have answered every question that was ever ad- 
dressed to him, for he knew everything; but there 
were occasions when he declined to open his lips. 

First : He had nothing to say as to Self-evident 
Truth. He carried no coals to Newcastle. There 
are some facts that are so obvious as to require no 
proof; such as, "Things that are equal to the same 
thing are equal to each other." There are other 
facts that are believed so universally as to be called 
intuitions. One of these is the being of God. In 
all the teachings of Jesus, you will find no attempt 
to prove the Divine existence. If you care for 
that, you must go to schools of Science or Philoso- 
phy or Theology, where the ontological, cosmologi- 
cal, and teleological arguments are served up ad 
libitum. But Christ assumed this doctrine as a 
postulate. It was enough for him that the world 
accepted it. 

So also with reference to Immortality. Ask 
Jesus, "If a man die, will he live again?" and he 
will hold his peace. If he says anything it will be, 
"Inquire within." Why should he undertake to 



The Golden Silence 



299 



prove something that everybody believes on the 
testimony of the inner consciousness, "I shall live 
and not die"? He found his disciples sharing the 
common conviction as to God and Immortality, as 
to Human Responsibility, the Authority of the 
Scriptures, and other fundamental truths; and he 
wisely left them there. Had they been wrong, he 
was under bonds to correct them; otherwise he 
would not have been an honest man. He knew all 
the facts in the case and could easily have said, 
"You are mistaken" ; but he never said so. What 
he did say was this, "If it were not so, I should 
have told you." 

Secondly: He had nothing to say regarding the 
Non-essentials. His ministry on earth was lim- 
ited to a brief period of three years. He could not 
afford to waste time or energy in the consideration 
of matters that had no application to practical life. 

The scribes and Pharisees once asked him, "Why 
walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of 
the elders, but eat bread with defiled hands?" He 
declined to be drawn into a discussion of such 
trumpery conventionalities, but replied in this wise : 
"Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites; This 
people honoreth me with their lips but their heart is 
far from me. Handwashings forsooth ! Look to 
your hearts ! For out of the heart come forth evil 
thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, 
false witnesses, railings, deceit, an evil eye, blas- 
phemy, pride, foolishness; all these evil things come 
from within and defile the man !" 



300 The Home Sanctuary 



On another occasion a man said to him, "Mas- 
ter, speak to my brother that he divide the inheri- 
tance with me." As this was a case for the probate 
court and of little or no value in relation to the 
spiritual life, he declined to have anything to do 
with it. His answer was, "Man, who made me a 
judge or a divider over you?" This was followed 
by the injunction, "Take heed, and keep yourselves 
from all covetousness," w T hich he emphasized by 
the parable of a certain rich man who, having much 
goods, said to his soul, "Soul, take thine ease, eat, 
drink and be merry" ; but God said, "Thou foolish 
one, this night thy soul is required of thee." So he 
consistently declined to be drawn aside into puerili- 
ties. To his mind the discussion of such quiddities 
as mint, anise and cummin was flat, stale and un- 
profitable. He was thinking of larger things. He 
was too busy to be letting buckets into empty wells 
and drawing nothing up. 

Thirdly: He had nothing to say as to the State 
Secrets of God. He knew all about the Divine De- 
crees; but he made no didactic excursions into "the 
wandering mazes of fixed fate, free-will, fore- 
knowledge absolute." 

A man once said to him, "Lord, are there few 
that be saved?" His answer was, "Strive to enter 
in by the narrow door; for many, I say unto you, 
shall seek to enter in and shall not be able. When 
once the master of the house is risen up and hath 
shut to the door and ye begin to stand without and 
to knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, open unto us' 



The Golden Silence 301 



he shall answer and say unto you, 'I know you 
not.' " In other words, the question as to the num- 
ber of the elect was for God to determine; and it 
was as unseemly as it was useless to urge it. "The 
secret things belong unto God." 

As he was speaking of the fall of Jerusalem and 
the final "restitution of all things," with the com- 
ing of the Son of Man, his disciples asked him, 
saying, u Tell us when shall these things be?" He 
ignored the point of their question, saying, u Let 
no man deceive you. If any shall say, Lo, here is 
Christ, or Lo, there, believe him not. Watch! 
Watch ! for in an hour when ye think not the Son 
of Man cometh." That is, the times and seasons 
are with God. 

A like thing happened in his last interview with 
the disciples on Mount Olivet. His face was shin- 
ing with the glory of his resurrection, insomuch 
that they were moved to ask, u Lord, dost thou at 
this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said, 
"It is not for you to know the times or seasons 
which the Father hath set within his own authority ; 
but ye shall be my witnesses unto the uttermost parts 
of the earth. All authority is given unto me in 
heaven and on earth. Go ye, therefore, and make 
disciples of all the nations." 

A learned rabbi, hearing him speak of Regen- 
eration, asked him to explain it, saying, "How can 
these things be?" Had he propounded that ques- 
tion to one of our modern psychologists he would 
have received a learned disquisition on the rationale 



302 The Home Sanctuary 



of the New Birth; but Jesus, who had been in the 
bosom of the Father and knew all about the mat- 
ter, declined to explain, simply saying, "The wind 
bloweth where it will; and thou hearest the voice 
thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and 
whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the 
Spirit." 

But while the Incomparable Teacher had no an- 
swer for those curious and inquisitive folk who 
wished to know about axioms and non-essentials 
and state secrets, he had much to say about the 
great problems that have to do with our well-being 
here and hereafter. 

I. As to his own Personality he spoke so clearly 
that none could misunderstand him. He said that 
he was the Son of God; not a Son by creation or by 
adoption, but "the Son," the u only-begotten Son," 
the one, lone, solitary "begotten" Son of God. He 
spoke of "the glory that he had with the Father 
before the world was." He arrogated to himself 
the "incommunicable name" of Jehovah when he 
said, "Before Abraham was I AM." Let it be ob- 
served that, however men may now twist and dis- 
tort his language into strange meanings, there was 
among his contemporaries no misunderstanding 
about it. 

At his trial before the Sanhedrin he declined to 
answer the trumped-up charges that were brought 
against him. For these he had "never a word." 
But when the high-priest said, "I adjure thee, by 
the living God, that thou tell us whether thou art 



The Golden Silence 303 



the Christ, the Son of God!" he answered in the 
strongest possible form of affirmation, u Thou hast 
said," adding, u Henceforth ye shall see the Son of 
Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming 
in the clouds of heaven." The high-priest there- 
upon rent his clothes, saying, "He hath spoken 
blasphemy; what further need have ye of wit- 
nesses? Behold, ye have heard the blasphemy. 
What think ye?" They answered and said, u He 
is worthy of death." So he died for u making him- 
self equal with God." 

II. He was equally clear as to His Mission. He 
who had been u with the Father before the world 
was" had come into the world "to seek and to save 
the lost." 

He claimed to be the Messiah, of whom the 
Scriptures had spoken in an unbroken line of 
prophecy from the protevangel, "The seed of 
woman shall bruise the serpent's head" to the last 
prediction of Malachi concerning the rising of "the 
Sun of Righteousness with healing in his wings." 

The coming of this Messiah was known as "the 
Hope of Israel." The general impression was that 
the time was now ripe for his appearing. The peo- 
ple were watching for him. 

To the woman of Samaria, who said, "The Mes- 
siah when he cometh will tell us all things," he an- 
swered, "I that speak unto thee, am he!" 

At the beginning of his ministry in the syna- 
gogue at Nazareth, he announced his Messiahship 
in plainest terms. Taking for his text the Lesson 



304 The Home Sanctuary 



of the Day from the prophecy of Isaiah, where it is 
written, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; be- 
cause he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to 
the poor, to heal the broken-hearted, to preach de- 
liverance to the captives and recovering of sight to 
the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 
to preach the acceptable year of the Lord," he said, 
u This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears!" 

He maintained this claim to the last. It was set 
forth in the titulum that was affixed to his cross. 
The superscription read, "This is the King of the 
Jews." It was written by Pilate in recognition of 
the Messianic claim of Jesus and in derision of the 
Jews. They came to him and said, "Write not, 
The King of the Jews, but, that 'He said I am King 
of the Jews' "; but Pilate answered, "What I have 
written, I have written." So, even in his shameful 
death, his Messianic claim as the Hope of Israel 
was placarded for the world through all succeeding 
ages. 

III. No less clear and explicit was his teaching 
as to his Plan of Salvation. His purpose was to save 
sinners from their sins by "bearing their sins in his 
own body on the tree." He had come to die in the 
stead of guilty men; and there was no other way. 
The law must be satisfied — the law which said, 
"The soul that sinneth, it shall die." His blood 
alone could cleanse; for "without the shedding of 
blood there is no remission of sin." 

His words are, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, 
except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, 



The Golden Silence 305 



it abideth by itself alone; but if it die, it beareth 
much fruit." And again, "I, if I be lifted up from 
the earth, will draw all men unto myself" ; to which 
the sacred writer adds, "This he said signifying 
by what death he should die." 

In his interview with Nicodemus, while he de- 
clined to explain the doctrine of Regeneration, he 
was very explicit with respect to the Atonement; 
for he said, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the 
Wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted 
up, that whosoever believeth may in him have eter- 
nal life." 

On his last journey through Caesarea-Philippi he 
spoke freely with his disciples as to his approaching 
death: "Behold the Son of Man shall be delivered 
unto the chief priests and scribes, and they shall 
condemn him to death and shall kill him." Know- 
ing all that awaited him he faltered not, but heroi- 
cally "set his face steadfastly to go." 

And when the great tragedy was over and he 
had risen from the dead, he said to certain of his 
sorrowing disciples whose eyes were holden, so that 
they knew him not, u O foolish men, and slow of 
heart to believe in all that the prophets have 
spoken ! Behooved it not the Christ to suffer these 
things and to enter into his glory?" If this plain 
speech of Jesus means anything it means that his 
death is the central fact in the plan of salvation; 
so that if we are ever saved it will not be through 
his life or example, but because he died for us. 

IV. His teaching is equally clear as to our Part 



306 The Home Sanctuary 



in this great Plan. We can do nothing but cordi- 
ally acquiesce in it. 

But that means everything. "What shall I ren- 
der unto the Lord for his loving-kindness ? I will 
take the cup of salvation and pay my vows." To 
believe is to accept. Faith is the hand stretched 
forth to take the free gift. But faith is vitally 
necessary. The water of life is without money and 
without price, but we shall perish of thirst unless 
we dip it up and drink it. He that believeth shall 
be saved. "Only believe !" For God so loved 
that world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that 
whosoever believeth in him should not perish but 
have everlasting life. 

The opposite of this is the doctrine of salvation 
by works. One of the vexed questions among the 
Jews was, "What is the work of God?" that is, 
What sort of moralities will commend us to him? 
Our Lord was asked on one occasion, "What must 
we do that we may work the works of God?" He 
answered, "This is the work of God, that ye believe 
on him whom he hath sent." This can mean only 
that faith on our part, and faith alone, is the sav- 
ing grace. 

And having thus accepted Christ, all the rest is 
to follow him. Follow! Follow! Follow! How 
he rings the changes on that word! "What is that 
to thee?" he said to Peter. "Follow thou me." 

If I profess to be a Christian, it devolves upon 
me to follow him as my atoning Priest, even to 
Calvary if need be, that I may share in his passion 



The Golden Silence 



307 



for the souls of men; to follow him as my Prophet 
to Olivet that I may sit with his other disciples, 
learning at his feet; to follow him as my King up 
to heaven's gate, that I may claim the promise, u To 
him that overcometh will I give to sit together 
with me in my throne !" He is my Prophet, Priest 
and King ! Wherever his footsteps lead, thither I 
am bound to follow him. 

Yes, I'm glad I am a Christian, not only because 
he saves, but because he teaches all along the way. 
And his teaching is sufficient. If he decline to an- 
swer any question it is because an answer would not 
help me. And, loving him, I shall learn as much 
from his silence as from his speech. I shall not 
complain if sometimes, in the reserve of Godhood, 
he refuses to open his lips. 

At the time of the assassination of President Lin- 
coln, a singular tribute was paid to the Divine 
silence in the inscription that was suspended on our 
City Hall, "Be still and know that I am God!" 

Out of the heavens, once upon a time, there came 
a Voice that the passing centuries have not hushed : 
"This is my beloved Son: hear ye him!" 

O Blessed and Incomparable Teacher, speak 
thou and we will hear; or hold thy peace, if thou 
wilt, and we will be silent before thee ! 

8. PRAYER 

O blessed Lord, my Prophet, Priest and 
King, thou hast an undisputed right of pos- 
session in all my powers of body and soul. 



308 The Home Sanctuary 

Hear me now, as I renew my vows of conse- 
cration. Take me, Lord, and use me ever- 
more to thy glory; for thy Name's sake. 
Amen. 

9. HYMN: "Just as I am." 

10. BENEDICTION 

Now may the Lord of peace himself give 
you peace always. Amen. 



TWENTY-FOURTH SERVICE 



The Messages of the Snow 

1. INVOCATION 

^^CCEPT, O God, my morning sacrifice. 
Enable me to lift up, with holy hands, 
my heart unto thee. I would put myself 
under the shadow of thy wings, so that this 
day may be spent in labor of love and patience 
of hope. Direct me in all things to the glory 
of thy Name. Amen. 

2. HYMN: "Jesus, thy Name I love." . 

3. SCRIPTURE LESSON 

Isaiah 55. 
Romans 5 :i-i 1. 

4. PRAYER 

I thank thee, Father, for the privilege of 
calling myself after the Name of thy beloved 
Son. Help me to adorn my profession in my 
daily walk and conversation. I want to be a 
consistent Christian, living as Christ lived, 
and doing the work that he has committed 
unto me. I pray that my light may so shine 
before men that they may see my good works 
and glorify thee. Bless, in like manner, all 



309 



310 The Home Sanctuary 

other Christians. Give them a large concep- 
tion of the privileges of the Christian life, and 
also of its grave responsibilities; for we are 
compassed about by witnesses who take knowl- 
edge of the Gospel as they see it reflected in 
us. Let thy benediction rest on the universal 
Church, the great organism through which, 
by the influence of thy Spirit, thou art restor- 
ing the world to truth and righteousness. 
Hasten the time when thy bride shall be with- 
out spot, wrinkle, or any such thing. And 
speed the day when sinners shall come to thee 
as doves flocking to their windows. Then 
shalt thou come in the clouds of heaven to 
establish thy Kingdom on earth, and every 
knee shall bow before thee. Then shall all the 
children of men unite, with angels and arch- 
angels, in glorifying thee. For thou, Saviour 
of the w r orld, art worthy to receive honor and 
dominion and power forever and ever. Amen. 

5. HYMN: "In the Cross of Christ I glory." 

6. OFFERING 

7. SERMON 

The Messages of the Snow 

"As the rain cometh down and the snow from 
heaven." (Isaiah 55: 10.) 

It is a pity that so many people are deprived of 
the delights of country life. Poor prisoners of the 



The Messages of the Snow 311 



city! What do they know of singing birds and 
flowing brooks, of blooming fields and golden har- 
vests? Or what of the joys of winter — the glassy 
river, the tinkling bells, the merry shout of children 
issuing from the schoolhouse into the falling snow ? 
To us the snow means nothing but unsightly heaps 
at the street corners, carts and horses and shouting 
drivers; the important problem being how to get 
rid of it. 

The Jews, like many other Orientals, knew little 
of the snow, except as they saw it gleaming on the 
distant heights of Hermon or of Lebanon. It is 
safe to say that, in other circumstances, Jesus, as 
the great Interpreter of nature, would have drawn 
many practical lessons from it. There are but few 
references to the snow in Scripture; yet they are 
enough for helpful suggestion in many ways. 

The snow brings us a message, to begin with, in 
simplest terms of Common Sense. 

I catch a flake in my palm; or, better, in defer- 
ence to its fragile beauty, on a velvet cushion. 
There it lies, like a letter from somewhere, asking 
as plainly as if pen and ink had written it, "Who 
made me?" A single flake gives us the query; two 
flakes furnish a coincidence; three greatly compli- 
cate the problem; and four suggest a mystery be- 
yond all solution, unless we accept God. 

The only other answer to the query is chance. 
Wherefore let us reason under the law of chances. 
How shall we get our first term? By multiplying 
the first flake by the second, the second by the third, 



312 



The Home Sanctuary 



and so on indefinitely. Keep on multiplying until 
you have exhausted all the snow that covers the 
billowy fields. Then multiply that product by the 
last snow storm, and thus until you have included 
all the snow that ever fell. Now, what have you ? 
A line of figures belting the globe, again and again 
and again, like parallels of latitude. Let us pro- 
ceed now with our calculation in the Rule of Three : 
As this line of figures is to one, so is the probability 
of something or Somebody behind the snow storm 
to the hypothesis of chance or a fortuitous con- 
course of atoms. Thus by a process as simple as 
any school boy uses in his arithmetic, we are led 
to perceive why the Bible pronounces him to be a 
fool who says, "There is no God." 

Our next message is in more rigid terms of 
Logic. 

A close examination of the snowflakes under a 
microscope will reveal certain facts : 

First, that every one of them is perfect; and in 
this it differs from all human work. A man-made 
masterpiece may approach near, very near, perfec- 
tion, but will never reach it. Put the finest lace 
under the glass, and the fairy figure that seemed to 
run so delicately through it will be seen to be as 
irregular as an old-fashioned worm-fence. On the 
other hand, the snowflake grows finer and finer the 
more you magnify it. 

Secondly, we note an infinite variety in the falling 
flakes. Des Cartes announced that he had discov- 
ered ninety-three different forms or patterns; but 



The Messages of the Snow 313 

the words had scarcely fallen from his lips before 
another declared that he had found nine hundred. 
It is now an accepted fact that there is no limit to 
their diversity. They are like the leaves that fall 
in the forests of Vallombrosa, in that no two of 
them are precisely alike. 

But, thirdly, all these varied forms are uniform, 
in that they are patterned under a common law, the 
singularly beautiful law of crystallization. How is 
this to be accounted for? What has science to say 
about it? Ask the scientist to define the snow. He 
will tell you that it is congealed vapor. But what 
is vapor and how congealed? Go on with your 
explanation. And whence this law? Law is usu- 
ally supposed to suggest a lawgiver. If I were to 
unfold one of the common ordinances of this city 
and tell you that it simply happened, with no law- 
giver or legislature behind it, you would have good 
reason to laugh at me. Yet there are those who 
smile at our credulity when we suggest God. 
Credulity, forsooth ! It requires a thousand times 
more to suppose that crystallization is a ''fortuitous 
circumstance" than to believe in Him who sits en- 
throned upon the circle of the universe. Go back 
as far as you can in scientific research, and you will 
never reach the ultimate. You come to a curtain 
hanging before an inner chamber, and there you are 
bound to pause. We draw the curtain and stand in 
the presence of the Holiest of All. 

The next message of the falling snow is in the 
realm of Physics. 



314 The Home Sanctuary 



It is written, "Lo here is the hiding of his 
power." 

Out of the bosom of the air, 

Out of the cloud-folds of his garment shaken, 
Over the woodlands wild and bare, 

Over the harvest fields forsaken, 
Silent and soft and slow 
Falleth the snow. 

In this apparent weakness, however, is the hiding 
of the Divine strength. You trample the snow- 
flakes under your feet, the children pack them into 
snowballs and play with them; you are treading on 
dynamite and they are hurling thunderbolts at one 
another ! For every flake has an immeasurable 
potency. It stands for the quiet, constant, per- 
sistent, infinite Power of God. Men work with 
noisy demonstration, with the creak of machinery 
and the shouting of many voices; God builds his 
temple without the sound of hammer or of ax. At 
five o'clock on every afternoon you may hear the 
sound of rapid detonation from beyond the Hud- 
son; this means (more's the pity!) that men are 
blasting at the Palisades. All day they are placing 
charges and laying fuses ; then the spark is applied, 
there is a great explosion and the ground trembles 
beneath our feet. Not so does God work. He 
drops a snowflake into a cleft of the rock, re-en- 
forces it with other of its feeble kinsfolk, and they 
take silent hold on the roots of the mountain and 
rend it asunder. While we are arguing as to his 



The Messages of the Snow 315 

being, pro and contra, he is riding through the uni- 
verse in his chariot of Omnipotence, and its pon- 
derous wheels move as silently as the waving of a 
butterfly's wings. 

The next message of the snow brings us into the 
larger realm of metaphysics; that is, of the higher 
man. 

It is written, "He giveth his snow like wool," 
rather like a covering of wool; that is to say, a 
coverlet. The figure appeals to us. We are back 
again in the trundle-bed. and the dear mother has 
come to hear us say our good-night prayer, and then 
arrange the coverlet and tuck us in. So God cares 
for all nature; the seeds and roots, the burrowing 
and hibernating creatures : he covers them all. 

So through the blue serene, 

For sight too fine, 

The ethereal miter flies, 

Killing infectious damps, and the spent air 

Storing afresh with elemental life. 

O Infinite Love! Blessed Mother-love of God! 
u And shall he not much more care for you, O ye 
of little faith ?" Aye, said Jesus, u as a hen doth 
gather her brood under her wings." 

The lesson here is faith. We are hearing much 
in these days of the simple life; but to discuss the 
question as if it were merely one of spending a little 
more or less is greatly to belittle it. The simple 
life is possible only to one who rids himself of pride 
and worry by getting into right relations with God. 



316 The Home Sanctuary 



We find our next message in the province of 
Theology proper; that is, respecting the character 
of God. 

It is written, u His raiment was white as snow." 
The Divine holiness is set forth in three visions of 
the glorious One. He was seen by Daniel, when 
the earth powers had vanished, approaching in a 
chariot of flame to take the seat of universal em- 
pire; and, behold, u His garment was white as 
snow." He was seen again in the Mount of Trans- 
figuration, his face shining as the sun, and his gar- 
ments white as no fuller on earth could whiten 
them. And still again he was seen by the Evan- 
gelist of Patmos, walking in the midst of the golden 
candlesticks, clothed in a priestly garment falling 
to his feet, with seven stars in his right hand, his 
countenance shining as the sun shineth in his 
strength, and his head and his hair as white as snow. 
And the multitude around the throne were ever 
praising him and saying, "Holy, holy, holy !" 

But what of us? We must needs stand afar off, 
in our alienation, and cry like Isaiah, "Woe is me; 
for I am a man of unclean lips!" Our sins have 
separated betw T ixt God and us. "Men and breth- 
ren, what shall we do?" Let us lift up our prayer: 
"Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity and 
cleanse me from my sin; for I acknowledge my 
transgressions and my sin is ever before me. Purge 
me with hyssop and I shall be clean ; wash me and 
I shall be whiter than snow." Is there any answer? 
Can those who are afar off be brought nigh? Can 



The Messages of the Snow 317 

the soul be purged of its iniquity and restored to 
God? 

Aye : for here is another message of the snow ; 
it brings a flag of truce with overtures of peace, 
"Com'e now, let us reason together, saith the Lord; 
though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white 
as snow." Here is the Gospel of Reconciliation. 
God comes out while the prodigal is yet a great way 
off, and falls upon his neck and kisses him. 

The blackest thing in the world is not jet, nor 
ebony, nor the down on a raven's breast, nor the 
pupil of an Indian's eye ; it is the blight at the heart 
of a flower that is smitten with death. So the black- 
est thing in the moral universe is sin at the center 
of the soul, spreading its corruption through the 
whole nature of man. 

The reddest thing in the world is not the ruby, 
nor the glow of sunrise and sunset; it is the stream 
that throbs from the Fountain of life. "The life 
is in the blood." The fountain flows at Calvary, 
and it cleanseth from sin. 

The whitest thing in the world is not ivory, nor 
alabaster, nor molten silver, nor a lily painted on a 
spotless wall ; it is holiness, as set forth in the figure 
of the driven snow, whose whiteness is not super- 
ficial, but through and through; and of the white 
solar ray, in which the primary colors of the spec- 
trum are gathered into one; and of u the fine linen 
clean and white, which is the righteousness of 
saints." 

And the greatest thing in the world is what? 



3 1 8 The Home Sanctuary 



Love ! Not our love toward God, but God's love 
toward us, as manifested in Christ: the love that 
holds the hyssop branch of our frail faith and with 
it sprinkles the blood upon the soul defiled with the 
blackness of sin until it becomes as white as snow. 
Such is the singular alchemy of grace. The blood 
of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin ; and without 
the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. 

It remains to read one other message of the 
snow; and this in the province of Universal 
History. 

u When the Almighty scattered kings therein, it 
was as when it snoweth in Zalmon" (Psalm 68: 
14) . Here is history plus prophecy: and this is as 
it should be, since no history can be universal unless 
it discerns the end from the beginning. This is the 
picture : A mountain-side swept bare by the wind, 
with white masses driven hither and hither upon it. 
What does it mean? These are not snowdrifts; 
they are bones of the slain, bleaching in the sun; 
they are shields of the mighty, ermine cloaks and 
royal mantles cast away in flight. There has been 
a mighty rout. God's enemies have been put down. 
The white squadron came forth, with One at its 
head arrayed in a garment dipped in blood; and, 
behold, Armageddon is over ! There are shouts of 
victory: "Babylon is fallen !" And here, on the 
embattled field of Zalmon, the scene is like a plain 
of drifted snow. 

This is the end; the consummation of all. The 
Word has accomplished its work. Was it not so 



The Messages of the Snow 



3i9 



foretold? "His Word shall not return void; but 
it shall be like the snow which cometh down from 
heaven; it shall accomplish that which he doth 
please and prosper in the thing whereto he sent it." 

In the Divine economy all things have their uses. 
Every snowflake is under commission. So am I, so 
are you. The secret of success in life is to know our 
commission and fulfill it. All things in God's uni- 
verse, except the children of men, are in harmony 
with the law of their being. Man alone has swung 
out of his orbit and lives in defiance of the Divine 
will ; he is out of harmony with the universal order 
by reason of sin. The purpose of God in sending 
his only-begotten Son into the world was to bring 
man back to his normal place in the realm of duty. 
He who clasps hands with Christ comes to himself, 
and finds the lost chord of life's symphony in the 
saying that is written, "The chief end of man is to 
glorify God." 

8. PRAYER 

O God, open thou my heart and under- 
standing to the lessons of thy love. Help me 
to hear whenever and wherever thou speakest 
— in Nature, in Providence, or in Grace. Take 
away my sins and establish me in righteous- 
ness, for the sake of Him who hath redeemed 
me with his precious blood. Amen. 



320 The Home Sanctuary 

9. HYMN: 'There is a Fountain filled with 

blood." 

10. BENEDICTION 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with 
your spirit. Amen. 



TWENTY-FIFTH SERVICE 

The Prayers of David 

1. INVOCATION 

f\ Lord, help me to remember the Sabbath 
^ day to keep it holy. Be pleased to hal- 
low this hour, consecrating it to thy glory and 
my good. Suffer not the cares of the world 
to interrupt, in any measure, my communion 
with thee. Give me some new and helpful 
thought of thy loving-kindness in Jesus Christ. 
Amen. 

2. HYMN: "Father, whatever of earthly bliss." 

3. SCRIPTURE LESSON 

Psalm 72. 
Matthew 7 :7-29. 

4. PRAYER 

I bring thee, O gracious God and Saviour, 
my sins and sorrows, praying that thou wilt 
deal graciously with me. Thou art mighty to 
save unto the uttermost all that come unto 
thee ; be pleased to extend unto me the scepter 
of thy pardoning grace and say, "Thy sins be 
forgiven thee." Thou hast power to heal 
all infirmities; heal mine, I pray thee. This 
321 



322 The Home Sanctuary 

I ask in a filial spirit, remembering that thou 
knowest best what is good for me. Give me 
patience in suffering, and enable me ever to 
remember those who are more deeply afflicted. 
Look with compassion on all the sick and suf- 
fering, and remember especially those who 
are without God and without hope. Of what- 
ever else I am deprived, I have thee ; but there 
are multitudes who know thee not. O thou 
seeking Christ, go out into the far country 
and bring them home. Send thy Church on 
eager feet to carry the Gospel to those who 
perish in the night. Bless all men and nations. 
Keep our dear country true to the faith of the 
Fathers. Bless all in authority ; may they rule 
in righteousness, and bring their honor and 
glory unto thee. For thou, O Christ, hast 
upon thy vesture and thy thigh a name writ- 
ten "King of kings and Lord of lords." Rule 
thou iq righteousness over all the earth; for 
thy Name's sake. Amen. 

5. HYMN: "Must Jesus bear the cross alone?" 

6. OFFERING 

7. THE SERMON 

The Prayers of David 

"The prayers of David the son of Jesse are 
ended." ( Psalm 72 : 20. ) 

In a house of cedar on the slope of Mount 



The Prayers of David 323 

Moriah, the King sat dictating to his scribe. The 
last of his formal prayers was about to be recorded 
for the benefit of those coming after him. 

The prayers of David which have been trans- 
mitted to us in Scripture are singular in two par- 
ticulars. On the one hand they were inspired, so 
that he "spake as he was moved by the Spirit of 
God." On the other hand they were pervaded by 
the Messianic hope. It runs like a golden thread 
through all his litany; the coming of the long-ex- 
pected Seed of Woman, who was to "bruise the 
serpent's head" and save the people from their sins. 

David was a man of prayer, wherefore he was 
also a man of power. "Prayer moves the hand 
that moves the world." It is recorded of David 
that he was "a man after God's own heart," which 
means that he was on intimate and influential terms 
with God. 

He had known God in his boyhood, when watch- 
ing his flocks in the fields ; and the memory of God's 
majesty in the starlit heavens and of his watch-care 
in the green pastures and by the still waters was 
ever with him. In the vicissitudes of his troubled 
reign, and when driven from his throne and hunted 
like a partridge among the mountains, he found his 
strength and refuge in converse with God. 

To Shemaiah the scribe he is now saying, "Set 
down a prayer for Solomon my son ; it shall be the 
last of my recorded prayers." It begins on this 
wise: "Give the King thy judgments, O God, and 
thy righteousness unto the King's son. He will 



324 The Home Sanctuary 



judge thy people with righteousness and thy poor 
with judgment." But presently the King sees be- 
yond Solomon; a vision comes to him of that 
greater Son of David, whose dominion was to be 
forever and ever : and his prayer merges into praise 
of the Messianic reign; "In his days shall the 
righteous flourish, and abundance of peace, till the 
moon be no more. He shall come down like rain 
upon the mown grass ; like showers that water the 
earth. There shall be abundance of grain in the 
earth upon the top of the mountains, the fruit 
thereof shall shake like Lebanon. All nations 
shall be blessed in him. Blessed be Jehovah, the 
God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things: 
And blessed be his glorious name forever ! And let 
the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen 
and Amen." The tremulous voice of the King is 
hushed. His last prayer is written; and the scribe 
adds sadly, u The prayers of David the son of Jesse 
are ended." 

Was he right? It was true that David would 
lead the Temple service no more. In that sense 
his prayers were ended. But would not those 
prayers go on? The minstrel's song may be 
hushed, but its echoes will ring through many a 
palace hall. The voice of the orator dies out, but 
the armies of coming centuries shall keep time to 
it. A child in the kindergarten toils at his A, B, Cs 
until he comes to Z, and feels that his task is ended 
then. But one letter still remains; the letter that 
we used to call "and so forth"; and this sends out 



The Prayers of David 325 

the alphabet into all his future life; so that he 
frames his character and influence by it. 

Amen is not finis; but "and so forth. " Its mean- 
ing is u So be it," which is another way of saying, 
"Let my prayer go on." 

I. To every prayer of David there was a Sequel. 

The momentary touch of a petitioner with God 
produces a state of mind that amply justifies the 
act of prayer, were nothing further to come of it. 
In India they say, "If you think of Buddha, you 
will be transformed into him." No man can kneel 
before the true God, in a sincere act of communion, 
without rising from his knees a better man. 

But while this reflex influence of prayer is im- 
mensely important, it is far from being the only 
result. An answer must be taken into the reckon- 
ing; for God is the hearer and answerer of prayer. 
His promises are Yea and Amen. The Bible is 
full of these promises, and the personal experience 
of God's people is full of their Yea and Amen. It 
must be assumed that a promise like this, "Ask 
and ye shall receive; seek and ye shall find; knock 
and it shall be opened unto you," means something. 
The word is not "if" or "peradventure" or 
"maybe," but "shall" ; and God means it. The life 
of David is in evidence: "I sought the Lord, and 
he heard me." — "I sought him and he delivered 
me from all my fears." — "Oh, that men would 
praise the Lord for his goodness and for his won- 
derful works to the children of men!" 

The secret of successful prayer is expectant faith. 



326 The Home Sanctuary 



"Whatsoever things ye desire, when ye pray, be- 
lieve that ye receive them and ye shall have them." 
Let him who, in the weariness of the long night, 
cries, "Would God it were morning!" go to his 
eastern window and look forth expecting to see the 
glimmer of the breaking day. 

II. The Prayers of David were perpetuated, 
also, in the form of a Bequest to those coming af- 
ter him. 

The Psalter was his Book of Prayer; and, after 
he slept with his fathers, it became the Prayer Book 
of Israel. The nation wept at his funeral, because 
his heart had ceased its beating, and they should 
hear his voice no more; but his prayers were still 
heard in the public service of the Temple. One of 
them was repeated at the dedication of the Temple, 
and another when the Ark was brought into the 
Holy Place: "Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and 
be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors, that the King 
of glory may come in!" These prayers were used 
continuously in public service until the time when all 
open vision ceased and the lights of the golden 
candlestick went out. Ah, if the people had only 
preserved their Messianic hope ! But they forgot ! 
And when the "Son of David came, they hid, as it 
were, their faces from him." 

At the beginning of the Christian era the dis- 
ciples of Jesus caught up those prayers and have 
kept them ringing through the ages. The song of 
the Virgin Mother of Christ, "My soul doth mag- 
nify the Lord," was a devout echo of the thirty- 



The Prayers of David 327 



fourth Psalm. The song of the Church in its first 
persecution began with the words of the second 
Psalm: "Why do the heathen rage and the people 
imagine a vain thing ?" The Covenanters of Scot- 
land, hiding in their conventicles, awoke the echoes 
of the hills with the twenty-third Psalm: 

The Lord's my shepherd; I'll not want; 

He makes me down to lie 
In pastures green ; he leadeth me 

The quiet waters by. — 
My table thou hast furnished 

In presence of my foes! 
My head with oil thou dost anoint ' 

And my cup overflows ! 

In the dark days of the Reformation in Ger- 
many, when Luther was a refugee at Erfurt, he 
said to Melanchthon, "Come, Philip, let us have 
the forty-sixth Psalm"; and they sang together, 
"God is our refuge and strength; a very present 
help in trouble : therefore will not we fear though 
the earth be removed and though the mountains be 
carried into the midst of the sea." In the wars of 
the English Commonwealth the Roundheads en- 
tered battle with Cromwell "raising the tune" of the 
sixty-eighth Psalm: "Let God arise; let his enemies 
be scattered. Let them also that hate him flee be- 
fore him ! As smoke is driven away, so drive them 
away ! As wax melteth before the fire, so let the 
wicked perish at the presence of God !" The hym- 
nology of the Christian Church is full of the pray- 
ers of David : they will keep their place in the pub- 



328 The Home Sanctuary 



lie service of the sanctuary until the Millennium 
shall dawn to the music of the Old Hundredth : 

Praise God from whom all blessings flow; 
Praise him all creatures here below; 
Praise him above, ye heavenly host; 
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost ! 

Oh, no ; the prayers of David were not concluded 
when his voice died out. The masterpiece of Leo- 
nardo da Vinci was painted on the convent wall of 
Santa Maria in Milan four hundred years ago; 
and meanwhile it has been so often retouched that 
probably not a vestige of the original picture re- 
mains; but copies of it remain in galleries all over 
the world and on ten thousand cottage walls to 
certify that Leonardo's work was not finished when 
he laid down his brush. In like manner all true 
prayers repeat themselves along the ages. 

III. Nor must we overlook the Postscript to 
David's Prayers. 

This is referred to in the vision of John the 
Evangelist, where he says: "I beheld and lo the 
four-and-twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, 
having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of 
incense, which are the prayers of the saints." The 
prayers of David were thus preserved to be offered, 
like those of all saints, as a perpetual oblation be- 
fore the throne of God. 

Nor is this all. David himself, after three thou- 
sand years in heaven, is still praying on. I do not 
believe that "prayer will be lost in praise." I de- 
cline to sing: 



The Prayers of David 329 



Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour ot prayer, 
May I thy consolation share 
Till from Mount Pisgah's lofty height 
I view my home and take my flight. 

This robe of flesh I'll drop, and rise 
To seize the everlasting prize, 
And shout, while passing through the air, 
"Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!" 

On entering heaven we shall not bid farewell to 
prayer. For what is prayer? It is making known 
to God our wants. We shall have wants in heaven, 
but every want will be supplied. And our deepest 
wants will not be selfish, but in behalf of those 
whom we have loved and cherished. Are not the 
saints triumphant, all "ministering spirits, sent 
forth to minister unto them that are heirs of sal- 
vation"? Can there be a ministry without a want 
behind it? Are the friends who have gone to 
heaven before us indifferent to our needs, and can 
they not intercede for us ? It is true that our One 
Mediator is Jesus Christ the Righteous, who ever 
liveth to make intercession for us. It is true also that 
we have no means of communication with our 
friends in heaven. But they are intimate with Christ, 
and they have the same love and interest in us. No 
doubt David is as deeply concerned as ever in the 
welfare of his people; and, if so, his great prayer, 
his prayer without ceasing, is that the veil that 
hides the vision of Messiah may be removed from 
their eyes, so that they may behold in Jesus the real 
Messiah of God. 



330 The Home Sanctuary 

Wherefore, let us pray on. And let us pray with 
an assurance that our prayers will go on forever. 
Did the sacerdotal prayer of Jesus for his disciples 
in the upper room come to an end when he said, 
"Arise, let us go hence"? Was the prayer of John 
Knox, "O God! give me Scotland or I die," fin- 
ished with an Amen? Ask the people of Scotland; 
and they will tell you that it echoes through the 
Land of the Heather to this day. 

A seafaring man, gray and burdened with years, 
arose in the Fulton Street Meeting and said, "I 
have come here to bear witness to the power of my 
mother's prayers. I ran away from home in my 
boyhood; but I took with me the memory of the 
last night when she tucked me in with a kiss, and 
said, 'God bless you, my boy!' Ah, that was long 
ago; but her 'God bless you!' has followed me 
through all the years and has brought me home at 
last. I never saw her face again; but I want to 
testify to-day to the power of her prayers. I want 
to consecrate myself to the service of my mother's 
God." 

Pray on ! Our prayers shall never end. It was 
seventy years ago that a little lass on her death bed 
murmured, "Now I lay me down to sleep." An 
old man of ninety and his wife of eighty-six still 
live to bear tribute to the lasting influence of that 
prayer; for never a night has passed, in all the in- 
tervening years, when they have not knelt down to- 
gether and said : 



The Prayers of David 331 

Now I lay me down to sleep ; 

I pray thee, Lord, my soul to keep. 

Pray on ! Pray on ! There is a mighty power in 
prayer. It has divided seas and made the sun stand 
still : it has brought bread from heaven and water 
out of the rock; it has closed the windows of the 
sky and opened them again; it has quenched the 
fires of persecution and marshaled the stars to bat- 
tle; it has broken gates of iron and called the dead 
from their graves. Pray on, therefore. Pray on ! 

More things are wrought by prayer than this world 

dreams of : — 
For so the whole round world is, every way, 
Bound with gold chains about the feet of God. 

8. PRAYER 

Lord, teach me how to pray. Bring me 
into such a sweet and perfect oneness with 
thyself that even my sense of personal need 
shall be lost in the joyous and wondering con- 
templation of thy gracious Plans and Pur- 
poses as revealed in Christ. So baptize me 
with the influence of thy Spirit that my whole 
life shall be hidden with Christ in thee. 
Amen. 

9. HYMN : u From every stormy wind that 

blows." 

10. BENEDICTION 

God be with thee and bless thee, and cause 
his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious 
unto thee. Amen. 



TWENTY-SIXTH SERVICE 

The Number of Our Days 

1. INVOCATION 

OGod, Light of the World, shine thou 
with the joy of the morning into my 
heart. Let me behold thy face in peace, and 
have sweet communion with thee. Receive 
me into the secret place of thy Pavilion, and 
refresh me with thy tender mercies; for Jesus' 
sake. Amen. 

2. HYMN: "Come, thou Almighty King!" 

3. SCRIPTURE LESSON 

Psalm 90. 
Revelation 22. 

4. PRAYER 

Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in 
all generations. Before the mountains were 
brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the 
world: Yea, even from everlasting to ever- 
lasting thou art God. My breath is in my 
nostrils, but eternity is the measure of thy life. 

332 



The Number of Our Days 



333 



I spend my years as a tale that is told. To- 
day, to-morrow, and behold the place that 
knew me shall know me no more. But, blessed 
be thy Name, I shall still live on. Death is 
only a covered bridge, leading from light to 
light through a brief darkness. I shall close 
my eyes, and when I awake I shall be still with 
thee. Help me so to spend the residue of my 
time that I may be ready for what awaits me. 
For I know that life here is only probationary. 
The character I am forming is the house I 
must live in forever. The work I am doing 
is but a tentative one, that must needs fit or 
unfit me for promotion to thy higher work. 
Wherefore help me to take heed unto my way. 
Enable me to live day by day as in the great 
Taskmaster's eye. Create in me a clean heart 
for Jesus' sake, and renew within me a right 
spirit. Sanctify me by thine own indwelling 
Spirit, and make me faithful in service day 
by day. Let a like blessing come upon all 
who love thee. Do good in thy good pleasure 
unto Zion. Draw in with thy Cords of 
Mercy the wandering and impenitent, that 
they may seek salvation and rejoice in thee. 
Hear and answer, for Jesus' sake; to whom, 
with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be glory 
forever. Amen. 



"A 



334 The Home Sanctuary 



5. HYMN: "Jesus, lover of my soul." 

6. OFFERING 

7. THE SERMON 

The Number of Our Days 

A New Year Sermon 

"So teach us to number our days, that we may 
get us a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90: 12.) 

Why should Moses ask for wisdom? He was a 
graduate of the University of On and "skilled in 
all the wisdom of the Egyptians." There was one 
branch of learning, however, that was not in the 
University Curriculum — to wit, Macrobiology ; 
that is, the art of living long and usefully. This 
was something which God alone could teach, 
wherefore Moses prays to him, "So teach us." 

So far as Moses himself was concerned the 
prayer was ex post facto, as lawyers would say, in- 
asmuch as he was bidding farewell to life. He 
was a hundred and twenty years old, but "his eye 
was undimmed and his natural force unabated." 
He was not going because he was worn out, but 
because the time had come for promotion. God 
called him to come up higher; and he was ready to 
go. 

He was now looking back over the three forties 
of his life: the first of them spent in the palace of 
Egypt, the second in the desert of Midian watch- 
ing his flocks, and the third in leading the stiff- 
necked children of Israel through the Wilderness 



The Number of Our Days 335 

to the Promised Land. It was a long life, but it 
had passed like a dream; like a watch in the night; 
like a tale that is told. Its years had come and 
gone like the flying of a shuttle; the garment was 
finished, the loom was silent; the weaver rose and 
passed on. 

It was not so much for himself that Moses of- 
fered this prayer as for his people and for those 
like ourselves, who were destined to repeat it long 
after he had gone his way. 

But as to this numbering of our days : can it be 
done? Would we not be glad to do it? 

Can Arithmetic help us? You are, perhaps, 
thirty years of age. Very well; multiply thirty by 
three hundred and sixty-five and there you have 
it. So far the process is as easy as for a farmer 
to number his sheep, or for a rich man to count his 
bonds and mortgages. But there is something left 
over. What about that ? Can we number the days 
that await us? 

You have simply made your computation up to 
date. Shall we add one ? Not yet. In this world 
of ours a hundred thousand people die every day — 
ten every second ! So before we add another day 
let us wait and see whether we hold out. We shall 
not know until we hear the clock strike twelve to- 
night; if perchance we do hear it. So the method 
fails; it stops short of the end. 

Suppose, then, we try Algebra. Let V stand 
for the unknown factor in the problem of life; that 
is, for the days before us. The problem now is to 



336 The Home Sanctuary 



reduce that x to known terms. And everything de- 
pends upon it. We are making plans and dream- 
ing dreams, building castles in the air; but all our 
hopes and ambitions depend for their realization 
on the value of that little x. The question is 
whether or no we shall live long enough to carry 
out our purposes. Alas, "the best-laid schemes o' 
mice an' men gang aft a-gley." 

I see a schoolboy at the blackboard. He writes, 
"x equals the number of my coming days." He 
keeps on working at that problem until the board 
is covered with figures : knits his brow and bends a 
little under his task; the hair above his temples is 
growing white ; but still he reckons on ; and just as 
he is nearing the answer, an interruption occurs: 
the bell strikes ! It is four o'clock and school is out. 
The boy at the blackboard turns and makes his 
way through the doorway into the Great Open. 
He is an old man now, weary with the burdens of 
life. He turns and looks backward; the answer to 
the problem is there on the blackboard; but alas, 
it is too late for him to profit by it ! 

But perhaps Geometry will help us. The literal 
meaning of the word geometry is world-measure- 
ment. It is the measurement of things in terms of 
time and space. It has to do specifically with lines, 
areas and bulks. Its work is done in three di- 
mensions only. But suppose there should be an- 
other world, where lines, areas and bulks play little 
or no part ? Suppose there should turn out to be a 
fourth dimension of which, as yet, we know noth- 



The Number of Our Days 337 

ing? Space is one of the concomitants of time; 
but when time is no longer, what then ? 

The propositions of Euclid end with Quod erat 
demonstrandum. But those demonstrations are in 
world measurements only. They traverse a mere 
infinitesimal arc of an Infinite Circle. What is 
proved for time may not hold for eternity. Caesar 
says, "I have my crown !" So much seems to be 
proved; but let Caesar wait until he sees whether his 
crown is on fast or not. Rothschild says, "I have 
my fortune!" but before that fact is assured he 
must wait to see whether or not his fortune will 
ultimately sift through his cold fingers like dust. 
We conclude, therefore, that no world measure- 
ments can enable us to number our days or estimate 
the things which the impenetrable veil of the future 
hides from us. 

How then about the Scientific Method? It is 
affirmed that in these days everything must be 
tested by "the scientific method.'' 

The scientist in the province of Macrobiology is 
the Actuary of a Life Insurance Company. It is 
his business to calculate the probable duration of 
life. But there is a difficulty here, arising from the 
fact that his calculations are made on a basis of 
averages, and an averge gives cold comfort in an 
individual case. The man of thirty, for example, 
applies for a policy. He is put through a physical 
examination to see whether his heart, liver, and 
lungs are in good order. He is then asked how old 
his parents and grandparents were when they died. 



338 



The Home Sanctuary 



If it is found that he is in sound health and comes 
of a long-lived family, he is pronounced a good risk 
and the policy is made out. It is calculated that 
having lived to be thirty he will probably live to be 
sixty; and if he gets past fifty he will probably live 
until eighty; but these are mere estimates, based on 
averages and expressed in terms of chance and 
probability. What the applicant wants, however, 
is not perhapses and peradventures, but an insur- 
ance of life. All that he really gets is the "if" of 
Moses' prayer: "The days of our years are three- 
score years and ten, or even by reason of strength 
fourscore years, yet is their pride but labor and 
sorrow; for it is soon gone and we fly away." 

And even if the man should live out the full 
measure of the actuary's calculation, it is still not 
he but his heirs who are insured. There is indeed 
no such thing as "life insurance." The thing is a 
misnomer. What is really insured is not my life, 
but my bequest in case of death. When my policy 
falls due, I shall not be here to collect it. 

All that remains 9 then, is the Philosophical 
Method. The literal meaning of philosophy is "the 
love of wisdom"; and the prayer of Moses is a 
philosophic prayer, "So teach us to number our 
days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom" ; 
that is, so that we may live as becometh wise men. 

In this case the method of computation is briefly 
comprehended in the word "so." In this we are 
given to understand that there is a way of number- 
ing our days so that the computation shall enable 



The Number of Our Days 339 



us to live wisely and well. God, as the Source of 
wisdom, can alone instruct us in this matter; and 
we find the instruction in his Word, which was 
given expressly to lead us in the right way. 

First, it teaches us that to live wisely we must 
number our days one by one. Jesus said, "Take 
no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall 
take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient 
unto the day is the evil thereof." In those words 
we have an effectual safeguard against care and 
worry. To-day is ours; to-morrow is God's; where- 
fore, "Make a little fence around to-day, and 
therein stay." 

The day in which I am now living is like the 
narrow pass at Thermopylae, w T here Leonidas and 
his three hundred withstood an army with the cry, 
"Keep back the Persians!" So let us stand each 
in his place, to-day, keeping back the cares of the 
morrow. Let us borrow no trouble. Let us cross 
no bridges until we come to them. 

Happy the man, and happy he alone, 

He who can call today his own ; 

He who, secure within, can say, 

Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today ! 

And why not ? God never gives us two days at 
once and the days never overlap. Wherefore, the 
part of wisdom is to offer the prayer of Augustine, 
"Let me live this day, O Lord, as if I were never 
to have another day." 

Secondly, we are Divinely advised to remember 
that there are only twenty-four hours in the day. 



340 The Home Sanctuary 

For each day practically closes at the setting of the 
sun. Jesus said, "I must work the works of him 
that sent me while it is day; for the night cometh 
when no man can work." 

Work for the night is coming, 

Work through the sunny noon : 
Fill brightest hours with labor; 

Rest comes sure and soon. 
Give every flying minute 

Something to keep in store : 
Work for the night is coming, 

When man's work is o'er. 

A day has been likened to a stairway of twenty- 
four steps, of which each step crumbles as we leave 
it. The hour that is gone is past recovery; and so 
of the day that is gone — gone forever ! 

The lost days of my life, until to-day — 
What were they, could I see them on the street 
Lie where they fell ? Would they be ears of wheat 
Sown once for food but trodden into clay? 
Or golden coins squandered and still to pay? 
Or drops of blood dabbling the guilty feet? 
Or such spilt water as in dreams must cheat 
The throats of men in hell? 
I do not see them here: but after death, 
God knows, I know the faces I shall see: 
Each one a murdered self saying, with last breath : 
"I am thyself; what hast thou done to me?" 

Thirdly, it is the part of wisdom to remember 
that a year has only three hundred and sixty-jive 
days. And the last year of life has not its full 
quota. Jesus said, "Watch, therefore; for ye know 



The Number of Our Days 341 

neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man 
cometh." 

A year lost is like a casket of priceless treasure 
thrown into a fathomless sea. "My millions for 
an inch of time!" cried Queen Elizabeth on her 
death bed; but the wealth of all the royal ex- 
chequers of the world could not buy back for her 
the minutest fraction of an inch of time. Where- 
fore, if thou hast aught to do, do it now. 

Improve time in time, while time doth last ; 
For all time is no time, when time is past. 

Fourthly, wisdom teaches that the days of our 
years y few or many, are steps leading on to eternity. 
And Jesus said, u Well done, good servant! Thou 
hast been faithful. Enter thou into the joy of thy 
Lord." 

As the tree falleth, so also it shall lie. At the 
dead line is written, "He that is unjust let him be 
unjust still, and he that is filthy let him be filthy 
still; and he that is holy let him be holy still; and 
he that is righteous let him be righteous still." We 
are building character here and now; and character 
is the house in which we must live. 

Time is only a means to an end. We are not 
really living now, but only preparing for life. 
Time, energy, and earthly possessions are assets to 
be invested for the eternal ages. We are not only 
building character in these prefatory years, but 
are learning how to do things, so that when the 
hour of promotion comes we may be fit for useful- 
ness in the future life. 



342 The Home Sanctuary 



The old year is gone ! Its days are numbered. 
But "God requireth the past." There is to be a 
roll-call. What shall we answer for the year 
that has ended? Was it a good year for us? 
Are we glad to review it? Did we so number its 
days as to apply our hearts unto wisdom ? Or are 
we crying, "Have mercy, Lord! O Lord, forgive!" 
Blessed be his Name : he is ready to forgive. We 
may enter upon the incoming year with a clean 
record if we will. For the blood of Christ "cleans- 
eth from all sin." 

On the upward road of the Jungfrau, not long 
ago, I passed through the village of Grindenwald, 
where the eastern Alps tower so high that the 
townspeople never see the morning sun. Yet they 
are not without the beauty of the sunrise; for at 
the break of every day they see its glory reflected 
in the west. So, looking backward now, we 
may see a blessed future reflected in the pardon- 
ing grace of God, and even in the mislived past 
may find an assurance of the breaking of an endless 
day. 

The New Year is before us. Let us begin 
aright, with simple trust in God. He who sets out 
as on a personally conducted tour, with the Saviour 
as his Guide, shall go safely on. For Christ knows 
the way. He has been through the future as 
through the past. His life is "from everlasting to 
everlasting." He knows the dangers and pitfalls 
before us. If you will get hold of his hand, my 
friend, and hold fast you can not go wrong. His 



The Number of Our Days 343 



promise is u Lo, I am with you alway, even unto 
the end." 

So on I go, not knowing. 

I would not if I might: 
I'd rather walk in the dark with him 

Than go alone in the light: 
I'd rather walk by faith with him 
Than go alone by sight. 

I wish you a Happy New Year — a year of close 
and intimate friendship with Christ; a year of 
faithful service in doing good, as you have oppor- 
tunity, unto all men; a year of unswerving devotion 
to truth and righteousness; of loyalty to Him who 
died for us, yet liveth now and evermore ! 

8. PRAYER 

O God, teach me so to number my days 
that I may apply my heart unto Wisdom. 
Thou knowest the measure of my life; help 
me to measure it in terms of daily faithful- 
ness. Help me to live to-day so as to be ready 
for to-morrow, whether in time or eternity. 
Be thou my Guide through all my pilgrimage 
until the day break and the shadows flee 
away, and I awake in the likeness of Christ. 
Amen. 

9. HYMN: "Guide me, O thou great Jehovah !" 

10. BENEDICTION 

Fhe peace of God, which passeth all un- 
derstanding, keep your heart and mind in the 
knowledge of God and of his Son, Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen. 



■> 1911 



One copy del. to Cat. Div. 

OCT 29 l*fj 



